Frozen Alchemist
by curry-llama
Summary: Three years after his parents disappearance, Danny stumbles upon their Alchemy research, unwittingly sealing himself within an undying body whose heart has now stopped beating. Danny must find a way to undo his mistake and get to the bottom of what happened to his parents. What is this nation really up to? (Currently doing HSC. Updates will be rare and I finally drew cover picture)
1. Prequel

Frozen Death Alchemist

 **Curry-llama here!**

 **I'm literally taking this idea from Dr. ForgottenFables and I've gotten my consent from Suicide Forest. So just to make things clear I have consent! Anyway this was the prequel that was already written by Dr. ForgottenFables. I just tweaked a few lines and such. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Anyway this is just the prequel and not all my chapters are going to be this short.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't own FMA, FMAB or DP. They belong to much richer people than me.**

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People are born, they live and then they die.

It is one of the truths of the universe. One that can be resisted, but not defied. One of the first things an Alchemist must learn is that the hands of time point only one way... forward.

Once something or someone dies the effects are irreversible. There is no cure for death. After all what is life other than the cycle of chemical reactions needed to keep the body going. Each moment following on from the last until the cycle is finally broken. All one needs to do is find a way to continue the cycle, even after the heart has stopped beating. To hold to this world for dear life... even after it is truly gone.

But the fact remains that no one is exempt from the truth.

This is the tale of The Frozen Death Alchemist.


	2. Broken Nest

Frozen Death Alchemist Chp 1

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I do not own Danny Phantom or Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I certainly didn't create any of the anime or make any bad ghost puns either…**

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"You'd be wise not to leave Daniel. Revoke that license and give up on this stupidity!"

Danny frowned as the harsh words hit him. Despite the older man's rather harsh and crazy manner since the incident, he was still in Danny's heart, his new father. It pained him to hear words of discouragement from the man who taught him everything, and for once paid attention to him… although the boy didn't know if that attention was a way for the older man to reconcile with his tragedy, or if he genuinely cared. In a sense both of them had come together after the incident that took both of Danny's parents away. So to Danny the acceptance of Vlad was something he considered invaluable.

"This _stupidity_ as you call it is what I'm doing for my parents," Danny said back, voice soft although slightly broken.

"Daniel you know I don't mean to hurt you. I'm doing this in your best interests, and warning you of the mess you're getting yourself into," the older man sighed clearly feeling the tiredness of his age.

"I know of the consequences of my actions and you have every right to completely disown me. I went against our code and became a dog to the government. The truth is I never cared much for the code, and for that I am truly sorry," Danny conceded but somehow still held his ground.

Vlad looked at his son in every word with sadness. Having been a part of the system of Alchemists, he had come to know a lot of the way things worked. The title of State Alchemist held well with its alias known widely as the 'dogs of the military', and for good reason as well. He knew everything there was to know about the life of one of those said 'dogs', being one himself for most of his years. He could only look back at his life and cringe, and that wasn't an expression he wanted to see on Danny's face in the future.

"I know why you're doing it Danny. It's for the benefits they provide. They lure you in for the bait and trap you in their web of politics and lies… you do not care much, do you?" Vlad sighed.

"No I don't. I don't care if they use me for a god damn experiment, Vlad! I want to know what happened to mom and dad. I will not go to sleep peacefully until I do," Danny voiced with frustration.

"Then go… however when you decide to come back regretting your actions I will always be here for you."

Danny looked at Vlad in shock. He had expected denial, anger, resentment, not understanding and reluctant acceptance. This only grew to make the boy feel guilty. Danny could see clearly the lines of worry imprinted onto Vlad's facial features, much which came from having to take care of a pubescent boy with obsessive issues. Vlad also knew very well how crazy the younger boy had driven him at times, but over time he had come to think of him as a son instead of a rebound. Having not had much physical contact with Danny, he just placed his hand on the boy's head and slightly ruffled it. Danny smiled and gripped that hand for a second.

"I don't know whether to be proud or sad that I've raised an accomplished psychologist, and an extremely young State Alchemist."

"You should be proud," Danny smiled wistfully.

"Maybe, but don't go getting yourself killed until you find out the truth. Promise me that if you die, it'll be a death worth smiling about," Vlad asked seriously.

Danny just looked at his crazy old mentor with a bit of amusement. Danny didn't need to know all the ways of 'normal' society to figure out that Vlad was asking him for something utterly bizarre again. He kept quiet however, as he had learnt to do during the three years under the wild man's tutelage. There was a simple nod between the two and an invisible acceptance to the promise.

"Sadly I won't be dying any time soon so you won't have to look forward to celebrating at me funeral. But I will be on my way now and I will come back once in a while to see if _you're_ still alive," Danny joked.

"I'm not that old yet," Vlad grumbled with mirth.

With that said Danny gave one last glance to the house- home he had lived in for three years, and walked away. He didn't cry, he didn't look back, but he had left a piece of himself behind. Instead of what he was leaving behind, Danny decided to focus on where he was going. His next stop would be to South City. It was a city known for its military influence and also a city known for having housed the two mysterious alchemists Madeline and Jack Fenton, both of which died suddenly in a government facility. No concrete story was given to Danny or Jazz but the two secretly knew there was more to it than a simple death. Jazz decided to ignore the mystery and focus on her life, while Danny had taken to obsessing over the event that caused him to learn alchemy.

Having gotten his State Alchemist license, Danny knew he was entitled to a few more riches than most. It was all well and good because the past three years he had become accustomed to the higher end of society, and the comforts that came along with the pedigree. Buying a ticket to Dublith, he decided he would take the scenic route to South City. The furnishings in his cabin were above average in that the seats were made out of soft, comfortable brown leather, and the room was airy and larger than all the other classes.

He sat down with a sigh and watched disinterested as the train began to move. His thoughts moved to his previous, more humble home, in Dublith. He had told himself he chose to stop in that small Town because the view was better on the slower trip, conversely he knew that the real reason he wanted to stop there was because of the hidden importance the small town held to him. It was a place he had been raised up for most of his childhood, and the place he dreaded to go to the most.

Looking out the window for so long Danny hadn't noticed the gradient change from a light blue to an orangey-purple. The warm weather had slightly cooled as the sun's rays died down, in its place the night's breeze spread through the southern region. Danny took in the nostalgic feeling of the familiar night's breeze, and the scent of the pure white that had come to surround the shrubbery. How they came to spread in the southern region was a mystery but a welcome mystery at that.

"We have reached Dublith station. Next stop South City," the speakers called out all of a sudden.

Danny was cut out of his revere and found himself at a crossroads. On one hand he could take a break at Dublith and visit his old home, or he could just skip the painful memories and rush to South City.

"…Maybe Vlad was right," Danny whispered but still managed to get up and get off.

He took in the familiar sights of his previous home town with a façade of calm. It was a nice town with its own form of beauty and calm. Despite the generally peaceful nature of the land Danny could not see it as anything other than a bad compilation of memories. He started walking further in despite the ache he felt in his heart. The sights he had grown up with looked like it was trapped in time. Nothing had really changed in the town.

"Danny?"

Danny turned around to be greeted with the sight of a woman he knew quite well… too well. Izumi Curtis was a women he tried very hard to avoid both now and before. In the past she had been like a second mother taking care of Jasmine and Daniel when she got the chance. Now she was a reminder of a past that had turned horribly wrong. Despite this Danny could not ignore her and run away. He knew she deserved better.

"Izumi… Funny meeting you here," Danny said awkwardly.

"Funny? Is that all you can say after three years with no letters? Come in and have a chat. I'm sure Sig is just itching to hear from you," Izumi offered trying to hide the eager tone in her voice. Danny simply nodded and followed awkwardly behind the taller woman.

"You haven't grown a bit you know," she said looking down at me.

"So I've heard. Can't say whether it's a curse or a blessing," Danny replied back jokingly while lightening the mood.

"At least you don't start screaming incoherently like someone I know…"

"Is this the Edward Elric I've heard so much about? The Full Metal Alchemist? It's hard to believe that the great Full Metal is short," Danny laughed, not realising that he'd hit a nerve on Izumi.

"There's nothing great about being a State Alchemist! I swear the next time I see a dog of the military I'm going to bash their head in with my fist," Izumi grumbled as she opened the door to her home. Danny laughed nervously as he made sure his State Alchemist badge was secured tightly in his pocket. "Sorry about that outburst Danny, come in and sit down. Tell me what you've been up to for the past three years and what's brought you to plain old Dublith after so long."

Danny took a seat on the sofa he had spent hours of his childhood doing homework on. Izumi had gone to make some tea and during that short interval Danny couldn't help but remember all the memories accumulated in this house. Most of his waking hours were spent in this house because his parents were of doing 'important' work. He had sat down with Sig most of the time, playing games, making up stories and learning a bit of basic alchemy you could learn from books.

"You should drink it before it gets cold," Izumi said coming in with a cup of tea. Danny took the cup and nodded with courtesy. "Take of your gloves when you're drinking Danny," she reprimanded.

Danny hesitated and looked at his hands wondering if he should listen to her. Deciding that she would find out soon anyway he took them off revealing transmutation arrays carved into his flesh. Izumi was shocked for a second but did well to hide her surprise.

"You learnt alchemy," she pointed out.

"After they died I wanted to find out what really happened. Alchemy seemed to be the way to go, and since my next guardian happened to be an alchemist I just learnt from him," Danny explained before he decided to change the topic, "Where's Sig?"

"He's of delivering some meat. Now tell me why you're here," Izumi said skilfully getting back to the topic at hand.

Danny sighed and decided to give his mother figure the real story. Lying to her was near impossible and he knew he would much rather face her wrath sooner than later. "I originally planned to find some clues as to how and why they died. I came here to look at our old house," he replied.

"And pray tell how you got here from the western suburbs without a guardian at your age."

Danny knew he was backed into the corner with that question. He had no real way of travelling between cities without a guardian unless he was above the age of 16. He silently cursed the stupid laws and decided he would have to pop the truth to her right now.

"I became a State Alchemist."

Time froze for Izumi. She didn't understand why the two boys in her life she considered sons, had always turned to things she condoned as wrong. First Edward had attempted human transmutation, and then later became a State Alchemist, and now Danny was following right after him. Her shock slowly turned into anger and she decided to fulfil her promise. Danny felt the full throttle of Izumi's punch to his face and he took it staying still. The couch toppled over along with the small boy on top of it.

"ugh," Danny groaned as he wiped the blood from his mouth and got back up groggily.

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"You're one of those' hit first and talk people', aren't you? To answer your question I need the title to move around freely and enter government property. I need to find out why they died Izumi… I need to know," Danny begged.

"I don't like it one bit. What you have done is gone against the Alchemists code… but since you are not my student I cannot tell you to give up the title. I can only hope your Master has told you that you aren't going on the right path," Izumi said biting back a lecture.

"Yes he has many times but I know what I'm doing."

The door creaked open and a large figure stepped in. Danny put up his guard as the shaded figure came into the light. It was… Sig? Danny's sombre mood instantly lightened at the sight of the man he had considered a best friend throughout his childhood. Sig stood there with raised eyebrow in what seemed to be a threatening pose, although if you knew the man you would recognise that was his normal stance, and on the inside he was actually a much like a cuddly bear.

"Danny!" the older man grinned as he squished the boy in a tight hug respectfully taking away Danny's breath.

"Sig-can't-breath!" Danny whimpered before finally being let go to catch his breath.

"You didn't tell me young Danny was coming home," Sig said to his wife in a happy tone.

"I didn't know. The little State Alchemist decided to come after this long just to find out how his parent's died," Izumi said harshly although there was an underlying tone of worry.

Sig looked worriedly back at Danny. "No human transmutations?"

"Why would I even think of trying that taboo?" Danny asked hurt and confused.

"No reason," Izumi said quickly before looking at her husband knowingly, "I'll leave you two to catch up."

As Izumi left the room Danny couldn't help but smile broadly at Sig. Unlike Vlad sig never considered Danny to be a son more so than he considered him a very good play-mate. The two of them found out quickly that they were kindred spirits in everything but size, both of them being imaginative, spirited boys with an eye for aesthetics. Danny admired the older man for having, with the words he used to say, 'a badass body', while Sig found the company of someone who didn't run away scared at first sight somewhat appealing. The two had become the best of friends quickly.

"Just as big and well-muscled I see," Danny commented.

"Just as small and petite I see," Sig replied good naturedly getting a cry if indignant protest from the younger boy. The joyful atmosphere turned dull as Danny's smile was replaced with a guilty grimace.

"I'm sorry for not having come here or written in these three years. I couldn't bring myself to do much at all," Danny apologised turning the mood around completely.

"No one's blaming you for anything… little State Alchemist," Sig joked punching Danny on the arm, forgetting his strength, and finally causing the small alchemist to try and catch himself from a humiliating fall.

Danny smiled and looked up at the buff man. "So how's the work-out plan going?"

The rest of the night went by with mundane talk until it drifted into midnight and the three felt tiredness draw on them. Dinner had been eaten, information had been passed, and the three of them caught up on the past three years. Danny found himself craving to go to sleep as he lay on the guest bed. Despite the tiredness and his body demanding rest he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. His life had taken a complete turn-around the past week. From getting his license, a new name as The Frozen Death Alchemist, to leaving the safety of his home and teacher Vlad, Danny realised how much had changed. He was not so delusional as to think things would go smoothly from here but he couldn't help but hope for the best. Despite his best attempts at optimism he couldn't help but feel like things weren't going to stay this smooth forever. He would have to leave this temporary nest tomorrow after all.

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 **Hope you liked the story so far. I haven't killed Danny** _ **yet**_ **but it is going to happen so just wait it out till the next chapter ok. You can't rush a character death after all right? Review and tell me if you like the story concept or if it's boring you or something. Other than that, I pretty much have said everything I want to say.**

 **~Llama out~**


	3. Soaring

Frozen Death Alchemist 

**It's going to get interesting from now on. I hope...**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't own Danny Phantom or Full Metal Alchemist**

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"You're leaving already? Can't you stay for a few more days?" Sig asked sadly.

"The sooner I get answers the better. Sorry about that but I'll come and visit every now and then," Danny promised.

"You also better call and write every now and then as well," Izumi warned although gently.

"Yes, yes I understand. Don't worry it's not like I'm going to die from a bit of research anyway," Danny said exasperated at the worry he was receiving. With that said he took of his hat, dipped it courtly, and entered the train. The large steam machine shot the sound of its departure in a flurry of vapour as the engines took blast. Danny watched as the two familiar figures turned smaller and smaller until they were completely out of sight. He didn't like leaving without company but he had brought it upon himself when he'd joined the military. However knowing the consequences didn't prepare you for facing them. It could only seem that loneliness came as a part of the job.

The mornings cool breeze turned into smouldering heat as the sun glared its heat into the earth. Danny was used to the heat but he preferred to keep cool and found the temperature tiring. The train was shaded enough, but when he had departed from his terminal, he found himself facing the blunt wrath of the heat much like every other poor soul. He wondered once if he saw the ground smoking.

The unruly temperature of the city was quickly undermined by Danny's body as he marvelled at the buildings around him. He could vaguely remember coming here once during his 5th or 6th birthday. He had been just as excited on that day as he was now although for much different reasons. Back then it was a childish joy at the prospect of a new adventure, now it was a quiet determination of finding reason.

"Did you hear someone tried to sneak back in that building again," a young girl whispered with scared excitement. Danny's attention turned to the two teenage girls and the skills he had acquired from Vlad kicked in.

"Would you kind ladies kindly tell me more about that building? I'm new here and the stories behind it interest me," Danny asked with the most charming smile he could muster. He internally cheered as the two girls blushed and went on to talk.

"Well some say that a bio-alchemist was making some deadly chimeras inside the facility. They say that the dead animal's vengeful spirits have been haunting the place and the corpses of the dead in there still move," the freckled girl said in a spooky manner.

Danny acted like he was shocked and scared. He knew where his parents had worked and wondered if this building they were talking about was the same one. "Would you know where this building lies so I don't by chance run into it?"

"Yeah sure, it's set in the eastern side of the city near the eastern bank. Nobody goes there anymore because the military and landmarks are situated in the central hub. I'm sure a visitor like you wouldn't go that direction anyway," said the blond girl trying to ease Danny's 'fear'.

"Yes I'm sure I won't be. Well see you ladies around," he said waving a curt goodbye and making them squeal. He knew that sometimes his short height did give him advantages- like getting girls to tell him things. Being 'cute' in a sense had its own advantages, and disadvantages on how you perceived things. Danny found it quite easy to be underestimated, but it was hard to bring fear tactics into play when you looked like you couldn't harm a fly.

Making his way to the eastern side of the city he could easily tell the buildings were getting poorer as he went. Maybe the building his parents worked in had some truth behind the wild stories behind it. Finally having enough of the heat Danny rubbed the arrays inscribed on his palms and bought for the water in the humid air and cooled it down. He liked to thank Vlad for teaching him ice based alchemy during hot summers like this one. Sometimes he appreciated being a literal walking air-conditioner.

As he came closer and closer to the building he could see he could see just how heavily guarded the grounds were for an abandoned lab. There was a large concrete wall with barbed wire around the top restricting entrance. Thankfully there weren't any guards. _The walls would be nearly impossible for someone so short_ _to climb_ Danny thought as he wondered how to get in. Suddenly it occurred to him that he could easily break the locks and chains with his ice alchemy. The locks around most government facilities were reinforced with transmutation circles to restrict deconstruction alchemy, but they could resist elements as much as they could resist sheer force- which wasn't much. Danny had easily been able to freeze the iron chains and break through it.

As he walked towards the building and broke through the chained door he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stick out. There was danger here and everything in him was screaming for him to run. Danny frowned and forced himself to keep moving in. The faded white walls and up furniture would have looked like any other if it weren't for the eerie stillness and the scratch marks littered with the occasional smears of blood here and there. There were no bodies and that Danny could understand considering the building was shut down after a string of random explosions which killed a few people and blew up all the documents inside.

Suddenly Danny found himself being flung into the wall. He yelped as his back crashed straight into the wall with a sickening crack. His vision had blurred at the sudden harsh throw and he found himself taking time to adjust his line of thought. As soon as he could clearly fathom what had happened he was face to face with a snarling pair of sharp teeth. Chimera he instantly thought as he slammed his palms into the water bags around his thighs and created two sharp ice swords.

"Fuck," he snarled as the lion nearly bit his head off. With a growl of expiration Danny pushed away the large chimera with his legs. The hybrid animal snarled and shook its head before quickly charging at the young alchemist in fury. Danny quickly side-stepped the chimera and used the moment of exposure to drive his reinforced ice-sword into the creatures neck, effectively severing its nerve connection to the brain. Danny panted as he looked at the downed chimera. His moment of rest was cut short as he heard several snarls from behind him. He turned around quickly to see 4 other similar predatory growls directed his way. He knew instantly to run away and for the first time since entering the building he listened to those instincts.

"Dammit where's an exit?" he asked himself as he sprinted as fast as he could. A shiver of intense pain travelled through his back as he fell to the ground in surprise. Adjusting to the sudden pain, Danny rolled into a table as the chimera gained on him. From the corner of his eye he could see a small transmutation circle flaring with the same energy signature as he felt on his back. Danny noticed too late in mute fear that the energy was being directed to the ground right underneath him. The deconstruction circle did its job quickly and broke a perfectly circular hole into the 2 meters thick steel reinforced concrete ground. Danny found himself falling into another floor as the pain in his back receded.

There was a loud crunch as Danny fell. He silently thanked whatever god existed up there as he saw the large hole, created by the foreign alchemy, had trapped the large chimera in a floor above him. He would have taken a breather if he hadn't felt something latch onto his arm. Danny slowly turned his head to look at what he had landed on and screamed. He jerked back in the dark room as the light from the hole above illuminated a figure of something so hideous and demented. Bile rose up his throat as he looked down at the human like corpse that twitched ever so lightly. The rotten body smelt of death and decomposition but it was still alive somehow. The tortured expression on what was once a female body made Danny want to puke.

Taking a few steps back in tremor and dread, Danny moved for the torch he had packed in his coat. He fought back the urge to puke as a heavy odour filled his nostrils and left a sour taste in his mouth. He turned on the devise only to be completely stunned as he saw the hall way full of the corpses in different states of decomposition. Taking hasty steps to the nearest door the young alchemist found himself rushing to anywhere but a place filled with somehow still moving corpses. Ignoring their tortured gazes he left the room he was in and exited through a door way he found walking in further.

"What is this place?" he asked himself as he made his way to the generator. Pulling up the power box Danny quickly turned on the emergency generator without wasting a second. The lights turned on leaving him feeling ever so slightly secure. Knowing that he could see his surroundings now gave him a feeling of assurance. "Ok now I just have to find some sort of evidence."

He walked into the ordinary looking rooms which had explosion marks here and there with burnt down filing cabinets. "Whoever had exploded this place," Danny confirmed, "had wanted to take down existing information about something. But about what?" The question remained unanswered as Danny moved in deeper. The throbbing feeling on his back wouldn't stop and soon Danny noticed a few transmutation circles, in corners you wouldn't think of looking, glowing. Deciding to follow the circles, that he knew weren't glowing because of coincidence, he found himself stopping in an ordinary looking room. Surprisingly enough there was one table in the middle which didn't look like it exploded.

Danny carefully moved to the table and placed a hand carefully on the handle to check a drawer. He jerked back cautiously as a transmutation circle appeared on the top of the table with his touch. The circle glowed brightly until it died down leaving a plain wooden box in the middle. He opened the box with every bit of caution. There was a letter in it which he picked up carefully and examined. He wasn't shocked to see that it was addressed to him.

"Dear Daniel Fenton…

Seeing that you have begun to read this letter I can only presume that you have become curious of our deaths. I urge you to turn back and head home straight away right now if you don't want to live a burdened life. However I cannot deprave you of the truth you seek because if you're anything like your father not knowing will drive you mad. Please son turn around and forget you ever came. Forget we ever existed and live a happy life with a new family.

However in the case that you want to give up a chance at a normal life and you want to know the truth we will have to burden you with the knowledge and truth of our lives. Open the pendant in the box and you can never turn back."

Danny frowned at the note. He didn't understand why his parents had specifically written him a letter without including Jazz. Didn't they think she would come to search for the truth either? Danny knew that whatever the truth was his parents only intended it for him for some reason. Could this explain why he couldn't remember the two days leading to his parent's deaths? Easily ignoring the urge to walk away he picked up the silver pendant and eyed it carefully. Placing his fingers gently on the opening he let out a breath as he pushed it up. The note glowed a white colour as more words engraved itself onto the paper.

His attention went to the pendant which held a small key inside. Just as he touched the key he felt something stop still. The world suddenly seemed colder and he felt like everything was so wrong. He paled as his breath caught but he didn't feel chocked. It was like he didn't even need to breathe at all! Panic threatened to take over until he forced himself to calm down. Clearly not breathing wasn't killing him so there must be something to this right? Shakily he picked up the note and decided to read more of it.

" _You have decided to open the key. I do not know what I should say or do as a mother but warn you that the burden you carry will be heavy. On your back is the work of our life. On your back is a way for man to cheat death itself and on your back could be the salvation and blessing for someone else. Use it wisely Danny and do not show it to the world for they are sure to misuse its power. Do not attempt to burn the array or you will kill yourself. Do not trust anyone and most of all do not trust the authorities. Find the remanence of our work and burn it to the ground for it is a curse in the wrong hands and a blessing in another's._

 _To ease your worries let us explain. Two days ago before our planned deaths we had taken you and inscribed the transmutation array on your back that has now killed you and at the same time kept you alive. Everything you have triggered so far is because of the array on your back. Do not look at the array on your back as a curse but as a blessing. Your body is now in a state of stasis and as such it is impossible for you to age or die. This also means you don't need sleep or to eat food… even go to the toilet. You carry the means for immortality but not invincibility. You can die just like anyone else so be careful._

 _We are truly sorry for not being there for you Danny. You meant the world to us and we have failed you in so many ways. And because of our failure you will have to carry the burden no one should have to carry. The burden of being dead and yet still alive._

 _Burn this note and the table._

 _Love and regards_

 _Your mother"_

He didn't know what to say. Most of the note seemed so informal and everything said inside of it seemed hastily written and very informal. He thought that it was almost like Maddie knew she was going to die but decided she didn't really care. To Danny most of the information he had just received seemed so farfetched. An inkling of doubt creeped into his mind and he placed a hand on his wrist… he had no pulse. Everything came tumbling in on itself as he realised what this meant. He was going to be stuck in an immortal 14 year old body for the rest of his life.

"I-I'm dead… I'm technically dead and immortal," he mumbled to himself as he stared at the pendant in his hand. It was like speaking it made it all the more true and he just didn't what else to do but just be shocked. Finally he saw a matchstick in the corner of a drawer and decided he would comply with their last wishes and burn down the table and the note. He set the table on fire and watched as the fire burnt the table into small pieces of ash. He hadn't realised the time go by as he stood dazed by the flames that grew and died down… much like every other human.

Just as the last bit of fire died down Danny heard the sound of footsteps and orders. Three men holding guns barged into the room and looked at the boy in shock. They hadn't expected a small boy to have come into the premises guarded by chimeras and survive. The largest of the men, Lieutenant Marvin, looked at the boy and frowned.

"Take the lad and get out of here," he ordered the two men next to him.

"Yes sir!" they saluted before grabbing Danny by the arm and pulling him away with ease. Marvin watched the dazed boy with suspicion. The boy was pale, which was no wonder, considering the zombie like bodies he must've seen, but there was something more off about him. It must've been the fact that there was a dead chimera with water dripping from its neck up-stairs. He wondered if the boy could have killed it. It took around 10 of his highly trained men with snipers to take down those 4 chimeras and one of them had even died.

Once the whole team had gotten out of the building Marvin decided it was time to interrogate the kid. Being a large angry looking man, Marvin preferred to ask question with death threats added to the end. Once he had tried charming some information out of his prisoners only to get sneered at for flirting. He didn't really care much as long as he got the information needed and that's what he planned to do. He grabbed the young boy's collar and slammed him into the concrete wall.

Danny was broken out of his daze when he felt the full force of being hit on the wall the second time today. He jerked his attention to the intimidating officer in front of him and instantly remembered his mother's warning on the military.

"What were you doing in there and how did you get in kid?" Marvin asked roughly.

Danny recollected his thoughts and decided telling the truth wasn't going to harm him in any way. "I-I wanted to see what was really in there… My parents worked in there and no one told me how they died so I went in."

"Then care to tell me how you managed to kill a chimera. Where's your accomplice kid?"

"Accomplice? I went in there myself and I killed that chimera myself as well," Danny retorted.

"And how did a tiny kid like you manage to do what 10 trained men managed with great difficulty?" Marvin asked clearly not believing the young boy.

"I'm an alchemist. I'm Frozen Death so could you kindly unhand me?" Danny finally answered getting out his State Alchemist Watch. Marvin looked at the watch in surprise and let go of the child. He had heard that the Full Metal had been a twerp when he got the license so he would have to give the benefit of the doubt to this kid as well.

"Why didn't you say so earlier kid? Either way I'm going to have to take you to South Cities HQ. Major General Shira will deal with you," he grunted moving Danny into the car.

* * *

Danny found Major General Shira's expression strange. In spite of the position he was in, he couldn't help but compare her face to that of a startled chicken. He would have laughed but reigning in childish impulses was something Vlad thought him before they had moved to studying alchemy. He kept his poise although internally laughing at the range of expressions the Major General was sprouting. After a few minutes on the phone she finally coughed and put on a serious expression. Danny could see how hard she was trying to piece back her dignity.

"Daniel Masters, as ordered by the Fuhrer himself you are to be relocated to East City, under Colonel Mustang," Shira said trying to keep her cool. Danny was shocked as well. ' _Why did the Fuhrer have to get involved'?_ He thought. There was more to the lab in South City that Danny was sure was important enough for even King Bradley to take attention. The other bit of information that seemed to nagging at Danny was that he was assigned to East City. That was the hub of everything busy and a place where you practically had no free time, which was why he asked to be located in West City. He wondered if the Fuhrer was doing this to get him as far away and as busy as possible from finding the truth.

"Where am I going to live? It's not like I have family in East City like I do in West City and South City," Danny asked thinking back to where he lived with Vlad in West city.

"Well it seems you'll be living with… Colonel Mustang…"

* * *

 **Ok I've done it. I've official twisted things up. Are you happy that Danny's 'dead' now? I mean I think he's still alive since he's moving and all but for the sake of this story let's just say he's a dead immortal. It's such a confusing oxymoron. Sorry about the cussing but I think I'd even swear a little if I were in his position and I'm trying to make things realistic here. Danny's 14 by the way just to get that cleared up. Thank you for all of the people who read, reviewed and Favorited. so far this has been the hardest fan fiction i have ever written. there are so many things i have to take into consideration so excuse minor flaws in the story.**

 **~llama-out~**


	4. Vacant Eyrie

Frozen Death Alchemist chp 3

 **Ok hope you enjoy**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't own FMAB or DP**

 **PS... This is set in the FMA Brotherhood universe in case you were wondering. Although there will be one element brought in from the 2003 series. It's just one measly character though. Nothing major.**

* * *

Colonel Mustang was having a hard time comprehending why he was waiting at the train station for another Alchemist. He was also having a hard time understanding why the Fuhrer thought it necessary to drop an Alchemist on his head, when said alchemist had enough money to buy his own home. Instead of going against orders he just ground his teeth in frustration and waited for the Frozen Death Alchemist to get there.

The allocated train finally arrived and Mustang found himself looking through the crowd that was getting off for a blue uniform. He sighed in frustration and rubbed his temples to sooth his growing irritation. After a few minutes of waiting he swore he saw the familiar blue colour of the military uniform. The figure seemed to be coming his way and was extremely short, until finally all Roy could see was a little boy certainly younger than Ed.

"Colonel Roy Mustang?" Danny asked looking up at his senior.

"Frozen Death Alchemist," he acknowledged although with a bit of bewilderment.

Roy had expected an unapproachable stoic man with the name and the description he got. He was told that the Frozen Death Alchemist had black hair and cold blue eyes. The description fit perfectly, but Roy was imagining someone with a beard and a bit of muscle as well, not some skinny boy no older than 15. He could suddenly see why Daniel Fenton was allocated to a house; he just didn't understand why it had to be his.

"So I heard you're the flame alchemist… isn't that ironic," Danny said with hidden irritation. He had expected travelling the nation and acquiring knowledge, not being baby-sited by his senior officer. He bit down his annoyance remembering his etiquette and acting skills from Vlad. Roy Mustang was trying to do the same, and so far Daniel hadn't made sarcastic comments that had gotten him irritated, so he tried to show the same manners.

"How far of a walk is it from here to your house?" Danny asked curiously.

"Walk? We're taking a car," Mustang said with a bit of pride.

"You own a car," Danny marvelled although he forced himself not to shout in excitement. Vlad, although extremely rich, hadn't bought a car because he hardly ever left the mansion.

"Yes and its expensive so please don't destroy it," Roy said roughly. He was trying to find a way to talk to Danny and so far he only knew two little boys (Edward/Alphonse), who he handled quite roughly. Danny frowned at the way Roy spoke to him and decided that maybe Roy didn't like him being here as much as he did himself. The two of them got into the car and Roy started driving.

"I haven't ever been allocated a mission so I don't know much. It'd be nice for someone to fill me in on how things work," Danny said, not so subtly suggesting for his senior to tell him how things work.

"You just recently became an alchemist… Well there really isn't much to do in peaceful times like this. We hardly get action and when we do it isn't as glamorous as people make it out to be," Roy admitted.

"I'll still get time off to research right? I-I just don't think I'd want to be here all the time instead of out there," Danny managed to say trying to think of a way of travelling back to South City and finding out more clues on his parents deaths. He was still slightly on guard in front of Roy Mustang as he remembered how his mom warned him against the military in her note.

Roy noticed the uneasy behaviour and couldn't help but notice that Danny had the same eyes as Edward- not literally of course. They both had the look of wanting to find something. It wasn't hunger for knowledge as much as it was hunger for the _truth_. He silently wondered if Daniel had also somehow committed human transmutation. He decided he would try out for an indirect approach to answer his questions.

"I am the one who will be assigning you to missions around the place," Roy admitted only to see a badly hidden worried expression on his younger charge's face. "Don't worry, I assigned Edward Elric to his own endeavours so I don't see why I cannot do the same for you," Roy assured.

Danny held back a sigh of relief and instead just put on an appreciative smile. Roy however wasn't done with analysing the new alchemist. "I've heard you were trained by Vlad Masters the previous Frost Alchemist."

"Yes he helped me perfect my own style of alchemy," Danny said not seeing how telling his superior officer would hurt. In fact Danny didn't mind telling the officer how he did his alchemy as long as he didn't give away the secrets behind it.

"Care to explain generally how it works," Roy elaborated.

"Sorry sir, I should have explained earlier," Danny apologised catching Roy of guard. "My alchemy works by using the water molecules in the air and lowering their temperature to create ice to my will. I'm not sure if flame alchemy is similar but my range is limited to how far I have my reach on water."

"I guess flame alchemy does quite the opposite to yours then," Roy mused. "So why did you leave Vlad Masters Tutelage and join the military when he absolutely abhors it?"

Danny tried to think up something quickly. He did not want to give his reasons and causes to someone who he hadn't trusted yet. It was one thing to give a style of alchemy to his superior officer, and it was another to go into his sob story. Roy noticed the hesitance but decided to act ignorant.

"My parents used to work as State Alchemists, although for purely scientific reasons, and I thought I'd carry on their mantle," Danny lied. Roy listened hard for a hitched breath but there was none… now that he thought of it he hadn't heard Daniel's breath this whole time. Roy also noticed the gloves Danny was wearing.

"I'm taking that you don't wear those gloves to use alchemy?"

"You're right it's so that I _don't_ use alchemy," Danny said realising that Roy wanted and explanation. Danny took of his gloves revealing the transmutation array tattooed on his hands. Roy raised his eyebrows but decided not to question how it worked. Each alchemist kept solely to his or her style and never meddled with someone else's. Danny however knew exactly what the gloves prohibited. In a sense all he needed to do was touch one water molecule in the air to connect it to millions of others. He needed his gloves so that his alchemy wasn't constantly active.

"Why didn't you just inscribe the array onto a glove?" Mustang asked curiously as he parked his car.

"It's more of a symbolic message rather than a practical one," Danny mumbled.

"Do you perhaps know of Isaac McDougal?" Roy mused, thinking back to his case files.

"You mean the Freezing alchemist? Well no- but master does. I mean Vlad and McDougal practically created water based alchemy together and then taught it to me. I've just tweaked it a bit," Danny admitted wondering why Roy had suddenly asked him that.

He looked at the array on his hands and smiled a little. His water based alchemy wasn't really alchemy but Alkahestry. The array was two circles separated by two curves running in opposite directions and intercepted with circles. They were the runes for water which used the basic principles of construction and deconstruction that Alkahestry used. While Alchemy attacks worked by utilising the tectonic plates' energy Alkahestry used the lands 'chi' energy or 'life' energy. They were two very different concepts but they both still worked on the basic fundamental rules of equivalent exchange.

Danny was finally kicked out of his thoughts as he realised he was walking into yet another large, rather rich looking house. It seemed, Danny thought, that he was blessed with all the well-of people in the world as his guardians. He could see that Roy was slightly unaccustomed to people not marvelling at his wealth.

"Your room would be the one to the left hand side second room," Roy pointed out as he walked up the stairs and into the corridor. Danny followed along and found himself in a rather large guest room, which to his standards seemed average. He nodded courtly before placing his luggage next to his bed.

Danny started to unpack his belongings, which weren't much, while taking his time. After leaving Vlad's mansion he had decided to only take the bare necessities. Everything personal and valuable was left in a home he had left behind. Being someone who craved very much for the comfort of an authoritative figure, Danny had begun to find himself missing Vlad and his mentorship. He had known that once he left that mansion he would truly be alone in the world. Jazz was away in a college, Vlad stayed behind, and the few friends he did have lived in cities he wouldn't visit in quite a while. Resigning himself from the topic Danny decided to focus on more immediate things.

Heaving a sigh the young alchemist decided to change from his military uniform into casuals. On his way to East City he had got a few curious and surprised looks from the people around him, after all it wasn't every day you saw a teenager wear standard military uniform. It was an even weirder sight to see that the same teenager happened to be a major in status. So he wore a smart-casual slim fit black long sleeved shirt and a pair of white shorts that touched his knees.

"Have you had your breakfast yet?" Roy asked as the boy came downstairs.

"No I haven't sir," Danny replied trying to hide the hunger and tiredness he was feeling from the rather long trip. Of course he hadn't slept during the time finding that his body didn't seem to need that minor rest anymore. Danny just cut it off as the blood not needing oxygen, and his body not needing energy to continue maintaining itself.

During the young alchemists pondering, Roy had started to make some pancakes. He was wondering how he would deal with the new body in his home. Daniel certainly wasn't like Edward and he couldn't treat him harshly and sarcastically like he had done many times with the blond nuisance. Finally the colonel decided that he would treat Danny like he treated every other one of his subordinates.

"I don't believe I've had pancakes in a very long time," Danny said smiling.

"Why is that?" Roy asked back.

"Vlad was into health foods," the young alchemist explained with a cheeky smile on his face.

Roy raised a brow at the sudden change of attitude. It seemed Danny did have a playful, less professional, side to him. Danny quickly realising his very unprofessional actions decided to cough and proceed eating with a forced monotone face. Roy sighed at the sudden change of behaviour, understanding why the boy was acting like that.

"You don't have to act like that Daniel. Not even my subordinates act professional around me," Mustang finally said trying to act casual.

"Danny."

"Sorry?" Roy asked confused at the sudden outburst.

"People call me Danny. Well people who know me anyway," Danny explained.

Roy nodded taking his word that there was a bit of established trust between the two of them. Despite the moment he couldn't help but think that there was something the boy was hiding from him. There was something of about him and it was more than his overly pale complexion. He did rather look like the blood had drained from his face. The two ate in relative silence with a few conversations about how things generally worked.

"Let me wash the dishes," Danny offered as he picked up the plates. Roy just nodded his head and decided to follow anyway. He wasn't going to make a temporary guest wash the dishes for him. They both went into the kitchen and Danny started scrubbing.

"Be careful," Roy muttered although it was too late and Danny had cut himself by accident while handling the knife.

"It's alright. It's only a scratch," the boy dismissed as they went on and finished. Finally as the two of them finished washing and putting the plates away Danny started to wonder when work would begin. "So when is our working hours again?"

"Well we were meant to start three hours ago," Roy said uncaringly. Danny was about to yell out in shock, having been drilled with punctuality during his time with Vlad, when suddenly the phone rang. He remained silent and watched as Mustang's face went from amused to suddenly pale. His superior placed the phone down with a grim expression before turning silently to Danny, an expression of fear on his face.

"We are leaving now," he said before grabbing Danny's arms and throwing him his uniform.

Danny obeyed without a word as he wore his military uniform quickly and followed after his superior officer. He couldn't also help but feel a little sick at how fast and carelessly Mustang had started driving. Whatever it was, Danny thought, it must be bad because a legendary alchemist is driving in fear. Mustang quickly parked his car and jumped out as he hurriedly entered his office. Danny was having a hard time keeping up with the colonel's pace but somehow managed until he entered a room where all eyes were on the colonel.

"She's not here is she?" Roy asked trying to mask his fear, which he was doing quite well.

" _She_ would happen to be right behind you," replied a clearly angry feminine voice.

Danny turned around to be graced with the sight with a scary women (who would've looked rather pretty if it weren't for her mood). The young alchemist nearly fainted under her aura, and wondered how Mustang was still standing, with said women glaring at him with that much ferocity. She walked past mustang and placed a meters worth of papers on his desk and with an evil glint smiled a very chilling smile.

Finally realising that there was a new arrival in the room, Riza turned her attention to the child. "Sorry about that but whom might you be?" she asked completely changing from furious to calm and approachable. Despite this Danny kept up his guard when he dipped his black hat.

"Daniel Fenton. I'm the new State Alchemist assigned to work here," he said curtly although a bit withheld from talking much to the scary women. Riza however didn't even have the hint of the fury she held before and continued talking to the boy. "My name is Riza Hawkeye," she introduced in a much lighter tone.

Riza had begun to analyse the boy in front of her as Second Lieutenant Havoc introduced himself. She smiled as she watched him take the cigarette out of the Lieutenants mouth and go on to list all the possible ways you could die from it. Regardless of her amusement she couldn't help but wonder why someone so young wanted or even could become a State Alchemist. The title after all was only given to the best of the best.

"I'll hand in the reports sir," Riza said before taking the reports and leaving with her thoughts. Danny watched the relatively stoic women leave in mild interest. His attention turned to Second Lieutenant Havoc as the man continued to explain his work in an even pace.

"So you do this every day and still somehow manage to remember every single little detail?" Danny asked with awe.

"Not every single detail… that's Colonel Mustang's and First Lieutenant Hawkeye's job," he said casually shrugging it off with his usual laid back manner.

"That eye for lack of detail is why all the women leave him," Roy added looking at his papers.

"Hey! I resent that. My current girlfriend has been with me for 3 weeks," the blond man retorted with mock hurt.

"I'm sure she has," Roy replied dryly with laced sarcasm.

Danny watched in amusement as Havoc placed a hand on his chest, and considered Roy with mouth agape, in what looked like a wounded gesture. He concluded that Roy and Havoc must've been closer than he thought with first impressions. The young alchemist found himself getting slightly jealous of all the relationships playing around the room that he was missing out on. He wondered if all of this could have been avoided if he had just dropped his obsession with his parents.

"Is that blood coming from your hands?" Havoc asked curiously to Danny.

Roy watched the surprised expression on the young alchemist's face as he took of his gloves. He suddenly realised that cut was the one Danny had procured from washing the dishes earlier in the morning. He wondered why his body hadn't already closed of the small and seemingly tiny wound. Danny was questioning the same thing until he realised that his body was in a stand still. He couldn't naturally heal anymore because his blood cells weren't working the way they used to. Yes he was immortal now, or dead and alive as his mother had put it, but there were also fatal side effects to his condition. Finally deciding to use his alchemy he moved the water from the cup nearby and healed his hands using Alkahestry. He mentally thanked the world that he had learnt the art of healing Alkahestry and water seemed to be so useful with.

Roy raised an eye at the sudden skill. Danny noticed the quizzing look and decided he would explain, "Oh I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that I use the branch of Alkahestry instead of alchemy."

"What does that even mean?" Havoc asked before Roy could question it himself.

"Well people from Xing use a different kind of alchemy- if you can even call it that. While alchemy uses the energy from the tectonic plates underneath us Alkahestry uses the life energy flowing through it. So you could say Alkahestry is made more for the purpose of healing rather than fighting," Danny explained trying to simplify it for Havoc. Danny didn't mind elaborating on how it worked considering the knowledge of alchemy was usually shared as long as it wasn't a fighting style.

"That's an interesting skill set. Is this perhaps why you want to travel around and gain more knowledge?" Roy asked.

"Yes it is one of the reasons. You could say the human body fascinates me," Danny admitted although slightly reluctantly.

"Well you Alchemists can talk about your alchemy while I go and get myself a well-deserved coffee," Havoc mumbled as he got up and left.

The rest of the day went by with paper work on paper work. The only thing Danny felt was worth something was the fact that he got to read the cases Roy and his team had been assigned on. He was surprised when he saw Isaac McDougal's name come up on the 'rouge' files. Vlad hadn't told him anything about McDougal becoming a terrorist. That seemed to be the only thing that preoccupied the young Alchemist's mind but everything else bored him.

As the hours grew Roy could clearly see the calm and patient façade of Danny's slowly deteriorating. He could only feel sorry for the young boy knowing how hard it is for a child to sit still and do work for so long. It was precisely why, Roy thought, that the government never made children do desk work even if they were smart enough.

"Danny, I think that maybe you should go to Reole tomorrow," Roy finally said.

"Reole. What for?"

"East City Military can't reach every base of our sector whether or not we like it. We may have one of the strongest military forces because the Ishvalan civil war happened close by, but there is admittedly corruption everywhere including our government. Reole has been left untouched and unsupervised for far too long, so much that we hardly even consider them a part of our census," Roy explained handing over a file to Danny.

"I suggest you go check it out and report back. Hopefully you'll find whatever it is that you're looking for there," Roy supposed curtly.

 _I highly doubt that_ Danny though but still smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

He wondered if he was ever going to find why his parents died. He wondered if he was ever going to get his body back to the way it was before. Most of all he wondered he had made the right choice.

* * *

 **Ok that was admittedly a very boring chapter, but still a necessary one.**

 **Ok to answer some questions Danny can't really die unless he has his head severed. He doesn't have blood pumping around his body because he doesn't need it. If he bleeds out the only side effect will be him being even paler than he already is. If you remembered back to the zombies he saw you would realize that although they had no movable body parts that they still groaned and moved in pain. Yes they were alive… technically.**

 **As you have guessed by now this means that he doesn't need to eat but he can- it'll just make him feel a bit sick. He doesn't need water and his body can't heal itself because his blood has stopped pumping. If I'm correct that would mean he wouldn't be able to heal right? I'm average at science so please correct me if I'm wrong.**

 **Anyway thanks for the reviews and for the constructive criticism. I'd appreciate it if people talked more about my grammar and spelling rather than the story though. I mean I've planned it out so if I leave something out or put something in it's for a reason. Please bear with my writing style. Even I would be frustrated at being kept in the dark about things if I read my own stories.**

 **~Llama out~**


	5. 1's A Bird, 3's A Flock

Frozen Death Alchemist chp 4

1's A Bird, 3's A Flock

 **Hello it's me again… I hope you didn't sigh when you read that. Anyway here's another chapter you may enjoy to your will. Remember 'Fanfiction is like a box of chocolates, you'll never know which one you get'.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't own shit… Unless it's my shit… (Blushes at profanity)**

* * *

Danny wondered if he would get sick and tired of train rides in the future, because he wasn't the happiest of people when he got of the cursed machine. It looked like you were comfortable when in actual fact your… excuse me… _arse_ ached in several different and very painful ways. In spite of the obvious discomfort Danny couldn't help but feel excitement grow on his first official report. Of course it had no actual relevance to his initial plan on finding his parents secrets, but it did hold a sort of importance at the same time. To Danny this was his first official mission and that meant he would do it with perfection and vigour worth the seat of even a Fuhrer.

" _Children of God who dwell on the Earth there is no salvation without prayer and faith. The Sun God Leto will illuminate thy path. Behold! The lord hath descended from his heavenly throne to save thee from all thy sins! For I am they father… I am the emissary of the Sun God!"_

Danny sighed as the irritation grew in him again. He wondered if people proclaimed things like this everywhere. Sometimes he doubted when he would see a real god. Having been a boy obsessed with finding the truth about his parents, Danny hardly ever thought much about anything else, including god. He had instead invested his time and effort into finding what had clouded his mind for many years. He just knew he had to find the truth.

During his moment of thought he hadn't realised the sudden force on his face. Despite the immediate impact there was something distinctively soft about what he had touched. Finding that he had fallen to the ground from the sudden crash he took his time to look at the dark figure looming above him. Panic rose until his eyes adjusted to the contrasted figure standing right underneath the sun. Unlike what he had primarily seen, the figure standing above him was in fact a young girl with a brown fringe draping her rather sweet looking face.

"Oh I'm sorry about that, I hadn't seen you coming by," she said.

Danny held the urge down to get angry at the indirect insult at his height. He wondered if he should have worn his military uniform so people would stay away and avoid him like usual. Deciding against it because he needed people to talk to him on this mission, his thoughts moved to the immediate matter at hand. Instead of growling in anger he forced a pleasant smile, and decided to just let the situation go.

"That's ok. Mistakes can happen anytime."

"My name is Rose Thomas. You must be new here," she said smiling pleasantly at the foreigner she had just met. "Where's your family? I can help you find them."

Danny raised an eye and realised that he was in fact just a kid to everyone. "I'm a State Alchemist sent here to gather information about the alchemy used here," he lied making up a back story.

"An alchemist, aren't you too young to be travelling alone?"

"I'm used to it. Don't worry about me I'll be fine," Danny dismissed as he walked away only to realise he really didn't know where he was going. Finally he came to the conclusion that he would have to follow Rose to maintain some anonymity in this town. "Actually I don't really know where to find food in this town so could you please help me?"

"Sure! I'd be hanged by Leto if I didn't help someone so young who's in need," Rose cheered before grabbing Danny's hand and leading him in a fast pace.

Danny wasn't sure how to act around someone so overly happy. He'd usually been surrounded by mellow people like Jazz and Vlad his whole life, that he didn't have much familiarity with anything slightly different. Rose however was ecstatic to see a new face around and welcomed this as a sign of God. She was sure to let the boy go eat at her favourite store, which she happened to be going to, to by offerings.

The two figures finally reached the little shop. Danny heard the crowd mention the Full Metal Alchemist. It was a wonder he'd heard it over Rose's incessant humming. Danny wondered if anyone could be so happy.

"Hello sir. My, you're busy today," she exclaimed letting go of my hand.

"Oh, hello Rose, going to the temple today?" the shop owner asked before looking at the boy next to her. "A distant relative visiting perhaps?" he asked.

"Oh no, this is just… I'm sorry I didn't get your name."

"I'm Danny," the young alchemist introduced.

"Oh some more new faces," Rose noticed.

"Yeah, they say their alchemists. They're apparently looking for something," the shop owner explained making Danny wonder if one of those two were the Full Metal Alchemist.

"I hope you find what you're searching for. May Leto bless you!" Rose exclaimed before leaving.

"Rose has become so happy lately and it's all thanks to the father," the shop owner pointed out with an expression of serenity. Danny noticed how content he felt just by watching others around him live their lives out to the fullest.

"Huh," a blond boy mumbled.

"Not only does that girl have no family but she also lost her fiancé last year in an accident. It was hard to see her so sad," the shop owner reminisced. Danny's attention went from the two alleged alchemists to Rose. He felt sympathy for her situation knowing it himself.

The men around the shop started to grow excited, "That's when she was saved by Father Cornello. He taught her about the Sun God Leto," they said.

The crowd started excitedly mumbling between themselves. "Preach on, he raises the dead, and the souls of his faithful live forever. Cornello's miracles prove it. You should see them for yourselves it is definitely the power of God," another man said making Danny frown.

Danny's attention turned back to the blond figure who seemed to be a foreigner. People had started losing interest in the two of them and had moved on to talk to each other. First the young alchemist decided that he would have to discern who the real Full Metal was, so as to not embarrass himself. He finally chose his character and moved onto the blond boy, ignoring the person in the armour.

"Hello sir, my name is Daniel Fenton. I presume you're the Full Metal?" Danny asked as he watched the older boy perk up.

"Yes that's right I'm Edward Elric the Full Metal Alchemist," Ed stated with swelling pride because for the first time in his history someone hadn't mistaken his brother as the Full Metal Alchemist.

"I'm the Frozen Death Alchemist and I wondered if you could help me out on a case," Danny whispered showing his badge.

Ed looked at the younger and somehow smaller boy in shock. He hadn't expected someone younger than him to be an alchemist. He had thought up till now that he was the youngest alchemist. Of course he still held the record for joining at the youngest age but he hadn't realised he had a minor in his league.

Al made the first move. "We'd be glad to help. This wouldn't happen to be your first mission right?" Al asked kindly.

"Yes it would be. It'd be nice to know that I would have some people to come along and help, especially the highly regarded Elric brothers," Danny nodded trying to coo them into his side.

Whatever the young alchemist was doing was working because Ed felt compelled to help him out. Alphonse however could see clearly how Frozen Death was trying to bustle them into joining him. He had seen it many times in the world but he didn't see a reason not to trust Daniel so he nodded his consent as well.

"What are you here for?" Ed asked getting to the point.

"I've was told to come and report what is happening in this region because the government really can't reach this far. Leore is pretty secluded so anything could be happening here without us knowing. Hopefully nothing will go wrong here so I can just be on my merry way back to the public library," Danny answered trying to make a point that he didn't want to stay long unless it was necessary.

Edward caught on the subtle hint but decided that a favour could only be returned with a favour. It was after all a world of equivalent exchange for him. "Tell you what. We help you, and you tag along and tell us if you have heard of a philosopher's stone."

"Deal," Danny said instantly.

"I think we should go to see this church of Leto first," Al pointed out.

* * *

The trio had to admit the architecture was amazing but something was just off. Danny saw it instantly. This church was a fraud. How did he know? Well Danny was a history junkie in every sense of the word, and Leto wasn't a god known in the history books to Amestris. The point was that Leto was just indeed a god stolen from one of the Xingese myths who had a sudden name change. There wasn't any creativity with his origins.

Ed and Al on the other hand assumed that every religious building was either a fraud or a misguided mass of people. Albeit the very bleak views on the church of Leto itself, they had seen nothing so far to suggest involvement of the people against the government. If anything the three of them thought it would be rather like any other day.

"Oh it's you three again," Rose greeted surprised as she entered. "Are you going to join the church of Leto?"

"Sorry I live too far away to come to this one church every week," Danny apologised politely although he had no intention of joining even if he was assigned to live here forever.

"Naw… Sorry I'm not religious," Ed commented.

"That's not a real answer! If you believe in Leto, you can live with hope and gratitude every day. It's wonderful... If you have faith I'm sure you'll grow taller!" Rose exclaimed with passion when a very noticeable tick mark appeared Edward.

"Sheesh… how can you honestly believe these things? Do you really believe that if you pray to some random god that the dead will come to life?" Ed asked, reining his anger in.

Danny watched in amusement as Rose continued. "Yes I do," she said with utter faith. Danny could only watch on sadly as he realised how misguided she was.

Suddenly Ed started listing ingredients much to Danny's confusion. "Water: 35 litres. Carbon: 20 kg. Ammonia: 4 litres. Lime: 1.5 kg. Phosphorus: 800g. Salt: 250g. Saltpetre: 100g. Sulfur80g. Fluorine: 7.5g. Iron: 5g. Silicon: 3g and fifteen other elements in small quantities… That's the total chemical makeup of an average body. Modern science knows all about this, but there has never been a single example of a successful human transmutation. It's like there's some missing ingredient. Scientists have been pouring millions of dollars and years into finding it and to this day they don't even have a theory. They think science is a lost cause but it's better than sitting and waiting for something to happen," Edward said closing the book in his hands.

Danny watched in quiet anger. He was a man of science himself but he hated it when people put his life into a list of ingredients. How many times had his parents done the same thing to him? Edward decided to continue oblivious to Danny's irritation. "For that matter, elements found in a human body is all junk you can find in a corner store with the allowance of a child. Humans are made pretty cheaply," Ed laughed although there was something hollow about it all.

Danny was about to retort in anger when Rose beat him to the catch. "People aren't objects. God will punish you for saying things like that!"

"Ahahaha! Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in unprovable concepts like 'God'. We strive to uncover the principles of creation in the matter of the world, to pursue the truth… It's ironic that we scientists, who don't believe in god, are in the sense the closest thing to him," Ed mused.

"What arrogance. Are you saying you are equal to god?"

"Well it's like the myth about the hero. He made wings out of wax to fly… but when he got close to the sun… to god… the wax melted away and he crashed to the ground."

With that said the room went completely silent. Danny however knew he had something to say. It was something he valued very deeply and something in this moment of time he could not give up believing.

"A soul…"

"Huh?" Ed asked as he looked at the younger alchemist.

"You forgot about the soul. Rose is right, we may be scientists, but we still have value. You said that there has never been a single record of a human transmutation gone right and that's because we had no soul to give. We simply can't place a value on a life other than a life itself," Danny said calmly, although anger flared inside of him, and left.

Ed watched as the young alchemist left along with their deal. He knew Frozen Death had no knowledge about the philosopher's stone from the beginning, but he had still bought him along in hopes of helping him out. What Edward hadn't realised was that Danny was in fact right. What was his brother without his soul; a suit of armour which had no body to help note as a human? Was a human being in essence a body, or was it actually the soul that defined existence?

* * *

Danny walked outside with a frown on his face. His heart had stopped but he knew he was still alive inside. Sure he didn't need to eat, sleep, breathe, or even go to the toilet like other humans… but he was still alive. His brain still worked and even if that stopped he knew he still had his very essence of being; his soul.

He was angry but deep inside he knew he was afraid. He was afraid of being denied his humanity. Was he to live forever as an immortal being moving from land to land because of a 'blessing' bestowed upon him by his parents? He wondered for the millionth time why his parent's had done this to him. He had tried to hold onto a string of hope telling him that it was for a worthy cause.

"Come on Frozen Death, we have to see this Cornello for ourselves right?" Alphonse called out.

Danny pulled himself away from the thoughts that were plaguing his mind. He hadn't come here to grow sentimental, he had come to find out if anything was suspicious and right now the suspect was Cornello. The new-found trio travelled to the daily preaching session outside. There were joyous shouts, cheers, and applause as Cornello made his way to the stage. The 'father' took one of the many flowers thrown and immediately turned it into a larger sun-flower. Danny wondered how the man had managed to pull something like that off without the equal exchange law.

"What do you think?" Edward asked sizing up the apparently holy man.

"That kind of transmutation has to be alchemy," Danny answered, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"That's what I thought too… but what about the laws?" Alphonse asked, voicing out the question on all the alchemist's minds.

Danny turned to be greeted by the sight of Rose. Rose greeted them before moving their way in excitement.

"So you came to see him after all! See he does have miraculous powers. Father Cornello is the sun God's child," Rose exclaimed excitedly.

"Naw, that's alchemy no matter how you look at it. Cornello is a fraud," Edward stated blandly with no remorse.

Danny cringed as the ever happy Rose suddenly had the look of irritation on her face. He wondered how Edward had become so blunt and without tact. Surely even if he was a teenager he should at least learn how to speak politely. Then Danny remembered that not everyone had Vlad down their throat when they were growing up.

"But he can bypass the laws for some reason," Alphonse pointed out trying to get back to the unasked question.

"Yeah that's the problem right there," Ed sighed rubbing his head.

"The laws?" Rose asked completely clueless the trio's earlier conversation.

Danny took over deciding that leaving Rose in the dark would be rude. "Most people think that alchemy can do anything and create whatever it is that you want. Sadly the case is much different. There are certain laws in place that as humans we cannot break; the first being 'the law of conservation of mass'; and the second being 'the law of natural providence," Danny explained before he realised that Rose had no clue what he was explaining to her.

"Let me try," Alphonse took over. "A substance can only be created from the same type of substance. For example; if something is mostly made out of water, you can only use it to make other things with the attributes of water."

"In other words, the basics of alchemy revolve around 'equivalent exchange'. That means to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. But that old guy is making too much out of too little," Ed stated giving the 'holy man' as suspicious glare.

"See I told you so! Why can't you just believe it's a miracle?" Rose asked.

Alphonse completely ignored her claim and had his eyes on the old man. Danny couldn't help but notice how the two brother's had tensed at their unspoken conclusion. He knew they were thinking only of the philosopher's stone but he wondered why.

"I think we've found it. Hey lady, I'm starting to get interested in this religion. I'd love to speak to his holiness. Do you think you could take me to him?" Edward asked suddenly becoming cheery.

"Oh my, so you're finally starting to believe!"

Danny face palmed at the Rose's naïve, and gullible behaviour. Still he decided that there was something wrong with Cornello and it was his job (literally) to find out what exactly it was.

* * *

"Please come this way."

Danny followed behind his new companions eager to see what was going to happen.

"His holiness is a very busy man so it is not easy to get an audience with him, you three are very lucky," the host said with a sinister smile.

"I'll try not to take too long," Ed said politely for once.

"Yes let's end it right away… **Like this**!" the host yelled before he pointed a gun at Alphonse's head and shot.

Danny watched in shock as Alphonse's head hit the ground and two men caged him with their spears. Edward found himself in the same position.

"Brother Cray, what are you doing!?" Rose asked in shock.

"Rose, these are heathens that were trying to entrap his holiness. They're evil," the man lied.

Rose stood her ground unable to believe what she was hearing. This went against everything the religion spoke of. Peace and kindness ruled the religion and she found it hard to believe that Father Cornello would willingly allow this.

"His holiness would never let you do this…" she exclaimed weakly as doubt began to creep in.

Cray looked at her and smiled. "He did allow it. The words of his holiness are the words of God. This is the will of god!" he yelled pointing his gun at Ed.

"Hmm…"

Danny reeled his head in shock as Alphonse got up and held the man's gun… Without a head!

"There's some really bad gods out there," Alphonse muttered showing of his hollow body.

All the men were shocked by the sudden revelation and Danny knew it was time to take control of the situation. He jabbed the men on either side and felt the water flowing through their body.

"Kneel," he whispered as the men complied and kneeled in pain.

Edward had done the same although he preferred to beat people bloody. He threw Alphonse's head at one of the escaping offenders and found pleasure in it hitting its target.

"Strike!" he exclaimed with a proud thumbs up.

"My head!" Alphonse growled in annoyance.

Danny decided he had seen enough and hit his two captured victims into their oblivion. He walked up to the Elric brother with a look that demanded explanation. Rose was pointing and mumbling things in shock.

"What is this?" she asked in shock.

"Nothing special…"

"It's just what it looks like," Al explained pointing at himself.

"There's nothing inside! It's empty," she pointed out.

"You might say that this is what happens when you commit the greatest sin… when you trespass in God's domain. My big brother and I…" Al explained his voice turning grave.

"You too Edward?" Rose muttered curiously.

Edward scratched his head awkwardly as he saw the two companions he had just met. He didn't like brining up memories of _that_ event. "Well let's save that story for another time… anyway I guess your god showed his true colours."

"No way this must be some kind of mistake," she defended.

Danny sighed as he watched the scene transpire before himself. He had a faint suspicion of what happened to the Elric brothers but he didn't think it possible. Still… he couldn't believe that Rose was still adamant on such a phony faith.

"Rose do you have the courage to face the truth?" Ed asked.

Rose wanted to say no and run away. Everything she had believed in to this day was what Cornello had told her. Yet she wanted to know the truth. She wanted to know what was really behind the closed curtains. She couldn't live a lie any longer.

"Jump into my armour," Al invited as he opened himself up.

"This is going to need some getting used to," Danny mumbled as he watched Rose hesitantly enter Alphonse's armour.

"Shall we make our way," Danny invited as the group moved along.

* * *

"Is this Cornello's room?" Alphonse asked looking up at the large curved door.

"Let's find out," Ed replied before opening the door.

Danny walked into the darkness along with everybody. He knew something was going on.

"Welcome to the church of the great Leto. Did you come to hear me preach?" an older voice echoed.

"Yes by all means teach us," Edward invited turning towards the false prophet. "Like about how you use your phony alchemy to deceive your followers!"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Please don't confuse alchemy with my miracles. If you saw for yourself you'd believe…"

"Yeah I've seen them alright and what I couldn't understand was how you're able to do transmutations that go against the laws," Edward slammed ruthlessly.

"That's why I'm telling you it's not alchemy…"

"And then it came to me. The philosophers stone… that's how you do it right?" Ed questioned cornering the priest. "Just maybe it's that ring of yours…"

Danny watched in interest as the scene played out before him. Cornello was basically cornered and all he could do is confess the truth.

"Correct," The man finally conceded, "The philosophers' stone, with this I can conjure at the minimum price for the maximum result!"

"How long I've searched for that," Edward gritted as he looked at the stone in envy.

"Hmph! What's with that jealous look? What do you want the stone for? Money? Honour?" Cornello asked.

Edward bit back answering and instead decided to ask for Cornello's motives. "What about you? What do you get out of founding this phony religion? If its money you want you can make as much as you want with the stone."

"It's not about the money. What I really need are followers who will happily give their lives for me. Think about it! An invincible army of fanatics with no fear of death! Soon I'll have this whole nation!" Cornello exclaimed as he laughed maniacally.

"Well I don't really care about that… Let's move on," Ed said anti-climatically.

"What? Don't belittle my ambition by saying you don't care! You better care you're a member of the military after all!" Cornello cried.

Danny raised up his hand with a bored look on his face while walking up. "I care," he simply said before remaining silent.

Ed ignored Danny and continued. "Stuff the country and the military I just want the philosophers stone. If you do what I say, I'll stay quiet about the scam you've been pulling on everybody."

Danny grunted in annoyance. It didn't matter if Ed remained quiet he still wouldn't. he had come here for a reason and it was his job to report any manner of threat or illegal activities happening in Leore.

"Your threat holds no value brat! The people of this town love me, worship me! They think my words are the words of god himself! Those idiots would never believe a word you'd say!"

Edward clapped with a smug smile on his face. Danny knew what was coming ahead and he couldn't hold back a smirk. "Wow you are smart! Thanks for telling us how you do it. You're right your followers would not listen to a word I say… BUT!... What about hers?" Edward questioned as he pointed at Rose. Alphonse took of his chest plate revealing Rose sitting stark still inside.

"Rose? What is the meaning of this?"

"Father is everything you've said true? Were you fooling us this whole time!? You're miracles aren't the power of god!?" she cried before she stopped and asked one last question. "You can't bring my darling back?"

There was a long tense pause before father Cornello finally decided to speak. "It's true that I am not the emissary of god but with this stone it is possible to resurrect your beloved. Rose I will resurrect him!"

Danny watched silently as Rose fought an internal battle. He knew how much it hurt to lose somebody… many people knew the pain but he also knew that there was nothing he could do. It was a dangerous boundary he didn't have to learn the hard way not to cross. He would not mess with the dead.

"I'm sorry you two… this is the only choice I can make," Rose apologised before she walked towards Father Cornello.

Danny sighed and decided to take his leave. The door suddenly closed and he turned to see an angry looking Cornello.

"Who said that you could go?" he asked angrily.

"I've accomplished my mission. Now I just have to write a report back to HQ and I'm done," Danny replied lazily although he hoped Cornello wouldn't let him of so he could show him what true pain is.

"I can't let you do that! Fool did you think I would let you get away?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't because now I can be free to hurt you as much as I'd like too," Danny grinned evilly as the Father snorted in anger.

"Well then… shall I show you a creation of my own? This philosopher's stone is truly amazing. It can even create new life like this. Have you ever seen a chimera?"

Danny watched as a lion with the rear end of a lizard came out. He really didn't see what was so amazing about a chimera. It surely looked scary but it really only was a lion. Ed clapped his hand and created an elaborate spear from the ground.

"It seems I can't play with this kitty empty handed," he joked.

"You made a weapon from the floor without using a transmutation circle?! So you do deserve the title of State Alchemist after all! But that still won't be enough!"

The chimera attacked Edward quickly and slashed through his spear. Cornello laughed in victory as he watched Edward's legs get cut. Ed found small pleasure in kicking the chimera and revealing his automail. "Sorry these are custom made," Ed chided.

"What's the matter? If your claws don't work then bite him!" Cornello ordered.

The chimera latched onto Ed's arms and Danny wondered if he should intercept but he noticed that Ed hadn't even flinched. "What's the matter kitty? Taste bad?" he asked sarcastically before kicking the chimera. "Look at me Rose. This is what happens when you use alchemy on humans. This is what happens when you trespass god's domain," Ed said gravely as he displayed his automail.

"Automail prosthetics… You live up to your name _Full Metal."_

"Come down here and face me you third rate fraud! I'll show you that there's no comparison between us!" Edward challenged.

"I see… Now I understand who you are. It always confused me why a mere brat had a fearsome alias like 'Full Metal… But now I know… Look at them Rose! Those two dared to do the one thing forbidden to alchemists… the unspeakable crime of human transmutation!" Cornello roared.

Edward nearly blanched at the memories that assaulted him in this moment. He had liked to stay away from it but confronting the horrors seemed the only way out. Alphonse felt the same way.

"Even after the horrible injury of losing his left leg, my older brother exchanged his right arm for my soul and put it in this suit of armour," Al explained.

"Heh… the two of us tried to resurrect one person and this is what happened… this is what it takes to raise the dead Rose! Are you ready to pay the price?!" Ed challenged as he looked the girl in her eyes.

"He heh, and you call yourself a state alchemist! Don't make me laugh!" Cornello exclaimed.

"Shut it you third rate hack who can't do anything without the stone!"

"I see so that's why you wanted the stone. So you resurrect and transmute humans for real."

"Don't get the wrong idea, Baldy! We only want the stone to restore our bodies back," Ed grunted.

"Father I'll ask you again. Give us the stone before you get hurt."

"You fools are the ones who came close to god and fell to earth. If that's the case then I'll make sure to send you to god permanently!" Cornello yelled before he transmuted a machine gun.

Edward set up a stone wall and laughed. "I'm sorry but god doesn't like me very much. Even if I did go he'd probably chase me away!"

"That's what hell is for Ed," Danny chided.

"Whose side are you on?" Ed grunted back irritated.

Danny shrugged and ran away with everyone else. Ed created a doorway and busted out of the room. Danny wondered if he should go back to East City. He had accomplished his mission and the earlier excitement had died to a null. It had in fact been a boring expedition with so much phony dialogue he was beginning to tire of. This whole situation was too bothersome. Ed suddenly stopped and Danny nearly fell right on him.

"What is this room?" Ed asked.

"It's where father Cornello broadcasts his sermons," Rose explained.

"Oh really…" Ed mumbled with an evil glint in his eyes.

Alphonse instantly knew his brother had a bad idea. Danny saw it too but he kept silent about it until the plan was explained thoroughly to them.

"I don't want to go with Alphonse and Rose," Danny finally said speaking up.

"You don't get to choose anything. This whole time you've been hiding in the background," Ed grumbled.

"I hadn't said anything because all I was told to do was report back. Plus I couldn't care less about the philosophers' stone… but if Cornello confesses publically that he intends to fight Amestris and her government I will have substantial proof in my report. You surely understand the pain of writing one without evidence right Full Metal Alchemist?" Danny asked politely.

Ed grunted. "You're like a mini mustang," Ed muttered before Cornello barged into the room.

"You little runts aren't going anywhere!" he panted.

"Just give up will you? News of your trickery will spread through town soon enough," Ed sighed.

"Shut up! Everyone in the church is under my direct control! They'd never believe a stupid follower even if she contradicted me!"

"I do feel sorry for those poor folks father Cornello but do you understand that you are going against your government?" Danny asked hoping for the final statement.

"Of course! Those citizens are just pawns to use for war! I don't have time to be sorry for mere pawns! Did you think you could stop my plans so easily! You underestimated the power of blind faith!" Cornello yelled in victory.

Edward laughed unable to hold it in anymore. Danny couldn't help but plaster a smile as well. It all seemed like a large, elaborate prank.

"What's so funny?"

"That's why I keep saying you're a third rate baldy!"

"You little brat how dare you insult me?!"

Edward pulled out the switch and smiled smugly. "Know what this is?"

Cornello blanched as he saw what Edward had implied. The brats had managed to broadcast his speech to the public. Before he could scream in rage Danny took out his State Alchemist badge and held it out. "You have conspired against the Fuhrer and Amestris. I now have the right to put you in custody. Come in peacefully and you will be judged by the law," Danny said with a bit of excitement. He had always wanted to hold someone in custody.

"Why you little brats! You've ruined me!" he yelled in pure rage. "I'm going to kill you!" he yelled as he went to transmute a mini-gun.

Edward went to transmute his arm into a weapon when Danny placed a hand on his chest and stepped forward. Ed looked at the younger boy curiously. He wondered why he was suddenly doing something after staying so quiet for so long. Danny however was seething. Not only had this third rate phony ignored his warning, he had ruined the special moment as well. Danny had dreamt of the day he apprehended a criminal since he had joined the military… now it was ruined. He hadn't expected to be ignored by a third rate phony.

"Stand back Mr Elric, I will not have this fool dismiss me so easily," Danny growled as he took of his gloves.

"You little shit! You think you can stand up against me?!" Cornello yelled in anger.

Danny narrowed his eyes and held out his hands. Cornello instantly stopped moving and his body trembled in pain. Ed watched as the younger boy suddenly transformed from his mellow self to something cold and sinister.

"Wh-what is this?" the father groaned out as his body went out of his control.

Danny gave the old man his coldest glare as he lowered his hand and forced the man to kneel before him. "Do you think you can ignore my warning so easily without a second thought? Do I look weak to you?" he said softly although his voice was laced with ice.

There was no answer as Cornello stared into those cold blue eyes that pierced into his very soul. Danny was getting even more irritated with the lack of answer. First the man had dared to dismiss his dreams, and then he thought of belittling him! He would give Cornello hell before he even thought of putting him out of his misery.

"At loss _father_? Do you not feel like preaching anymore?" Danny mocked sarcastically. He clenched his fists and turned down the temperature in the older man's body. Cornello screamed in agony.

"Frozen Death, you need to stop!" Edward growled as he gripped Danny's shoulders.

In the moment Danny had lost his concentration Cornello used the philosopher's stone to create a gun. Edward instantly transmuted his arm and cut of the gun.

"Didn't I tell you? There's no comparison between us," Ed grinned.

"I-I won't give up! I won't… as long as I have this stone I can make miracles again and again!" the father yelled determinedly as he tried to transmute the gun again. Danny watched as the alchemy rebounded and fused with Cornello's arm.

"My arm! My arm! AGGH IT HURTS! AGGGH!" the old man yelled in agony as he gripped his arm.

Edward grew agitated as he watched the man in front of him. "Shut up! It was just a rebound! Don't make such a big deal over an arm or two! The stone! Let me see the philosopher's stone!" he yelled as he gripped the man. Just as that was said the crimson stone crumbled and turned into dust.

"It broke…" Ed muttered."How could it happen how could a pure substance like the philosopher's stone break apart?" Edward questioned frantically.

"I don't know, I don't know anything! Nobody told me a thing! Please spare me I was wrong! I'm powerless without the stone please take pity!" Cornello begged.

Edward was lost in thought and all he could do was mumble. He had lost a leg, an arm, his brothers body, their innocence and after all that their first clue was an actual _phony_. He had never felt so depressed, so lost… in such a long time and it was all Cornello's fault. A deep anger burnt inside Ed as irritation and disappointment weighed his mind.

"Hey old man… first you lied to the townspeople and then you tried to kill us… and now after all the trouble you put me through, you're telling me the stone was a **fake**?"

Danny watched in mild admiration as Ed transmuted a large stone hand without any circles from the statue of the god behind him. Clearly it would be the irony, of the god bringing down what he had once bought up, that ended Cornello.

"Feel the iron blow of god's wrath!" Ed yelled angrily as he bought the fist down on Cornello.

Cornello had fainted and now Danny didn't even want to apprehend the man. Still he felt sorry for Ed and Al to have gone through all of this and not even gotten what they wanted.

"It's a fake?" Al asked coming in with Rose.

"Yeah it was all a waste of time. Just when I thought we were finally going to be able to get our old bodies back," Ed muttered before he turned his attention to the silent Danny. "Aren't you going to apprehend him?" he asked curiously.

Danny's innocent expression twisted into disgusted and anger causing Ed to sweat drop. "I wouldn't soil my hands by touching someone so dirty," Danny said coldly as he put his gloves back on. Ed noticed the transmutation circles but decided not to ask. Still he knew that whatever alchemy Freezing Death could produce, it was clearly strong enough to fight him.

"Oh well I guess we'll look elsewhere for the stone," Ed grumbled.

"But… there must be some kind of mistake… I mean they told me that he would come back to life…" Rose cried.

"Give it up Rose it could never have-"

"What did you do to me?" she asked cutting Ed off. "What do I do? What am I supposed to believe in now!? Are you going to tell me? Well are you!?" she screamed in despair.

Ed looked down. He knew her pain.

"You need to figure that out on your own. Stand up and walk, keep going forward, at least you have two strong legs to take you there."

Danny followed the two brothers outside as they left Rose behind. He wondered what exactly he would be doing now.

"Where are you going to go?" Al asked looking down at the raven haired boy.

"I was asking myself that question just a moment ago. The truth is I have to leave to East City to file in the report. I'll have to bid you well then," Danny sighed before giving a small bow.

"Wait, we're going to East City too," Ed informed.

"We'll be taking a longer route, but you're free to join us if you want," Alphonse invited kindly.

Danny didn't have to wait, "You're welcome then," he said smiling.

* * *

 **It's me Curry-llama! Ok I'm proud to say that I finally finished this chapter! It was tedious effort I tell you! Tedious! Anyway I hope you enjoyed. This was a boring chapter to write and I found it kind of hard to not insinuate that FMAB was sort of reflecting the religions in our world. Sorry to all the religious people out there but this is a highly agnostic point of view story. And that's just it, it's a story so no need to worry. I'm not suggesting anything about the real world through this work I'm just following the story line.**

 **Anyway to the** **important announcement** **. I'm sorry to inform you of this but this is my last holiday when I am not studying. So that means this is the last holiday I'll be writing fanfiction. I'm going into year 11 and the HSC isn't far behind so I'll be studying. That means my updates will not be as frequent if not ever existing and I apologise for that. You try having Asian parents breath down your throats and you'll understand why I'm not going to be writing after January end.**


	6. A Burning Nest

Frozen Death Alchemist chapter 5

A Burning Nest

 **Ok hope you enjoy. This will obviously be the Youswell mining town saga. Just saying Danny won't be travelling with Ed and Al the whole time. He will be a part of the main storyline but half of it doesn't involve Ed and Al.**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't own FMA or DP**

The train was empty and Danny wondered why it was that he had agreed to spend more time with the Elric brothers. Still he couldn't refute that Alphonse was great company. His soft, kind voice soothed even the most tempered soul of Edward Elric. In a way Danny wondered what it would have been like for Jazz to come along with him. _No_ he thought _I'd just get her into problems far beyond her_. Danny knew Jazz had done something he never could… move on. He had been stuck in stasis far before he had read that fated letter.

"I couldn't help but notice but you managed to control that third rate baldy and a couple of his cronies yesterday. How'd you do that?" Ed asked looking at Danny's gloved hands. He had initially told himself he wouldn't ask the question but boredom got the better of him.

"I don't mind explaining. I base my alchemy on water techniques and there's water in everyone as I know you understand considering you recite the contents of a human being by heart," Danny jabbed at Ed.

"You have something against that?" Ed asked.

"Not really but my late parents used to do it a lot. Sometimes I wonder if they had loved me considering I'm just a bunch of ingredients found in the local grocery," Danny quoted again with a bit of mirth.

"You're really going to hold me for that aren't you?" Ed asked a bit irritated by the prospect.

"Of course not. I'm not one to hold grudges," Danny replied sarcastically.

"Let's be civil here," Alphonse warned as he sated the two State Alchemists.

* * *

"So this is where we get out coal from," Ed noted as he looked at the desolate scenery. "The wild frontier, eh? I'd always thought a place like this would be a little more… lively."

"Everyone seems so tired," Alphonse agreed.

Danny noticed something coming from behind and ducked. Sadly Ed hadn't been able to do so in time and had fallen to the ground from the wooden log.

"Oops! Sorry 'bout that," a young boy apologised.

"Why you little-"

"Don't worry just watch your step next time," Danny cut in before Ed could rage at the boy.

"Hey! You're from out of town right? On a trip? Need a meal? A place to stay?" the boy suddenly asked to fast for Ed to refuse. "Dad we've got customers!"

"Listen when people talk to you!" Ed finally snapped although the boy ignored him studiously.

"What's that Khayal?" a built man on the docks asked.

"Customers! A piggy bank!" Khayal replied as if the trio weren't even there.

"What do you mean piggy bank!?" Ed growled angrily.

With that said Danny and the Elric brothers were whisked away into an inn. Danny absently wondered how such poor looking people managed to pay for drinks let alone a meal. Still the inn was livelier and more crowded than Danny had first expected. It seemed to have lit a joy in the hearts of the otherwise tired looking residents.

"Sorry about the dust. The mines don't pay very much so we run this inn to get by," the chief apologised.

"What're you talkin' 'bout chief!? Your problem is that you're a soft touch! Always giving what you make to the poor," one of the men laughed.

"That's why your lady's always crying!" another chided flustering the chief.

"Keep it down you! If you got a problem with how I spend my money, then hurry up and pay me what you owe for the booze!" the chief berated good-naturedly, as the room burst out in laughter.

A kind lady walked up with the plates. "So, there's three of you… do you want a one night's stay and two meals each?" she asked kindly.

"How much?" Ed asked.

"Afraid you can't afford it?" the chief asked with a glint in his eyes.

"Don't worry I bought enough."

"200 thousand," the man said making Ed fall from his seat in surprise. If Danny had been drinking he would have spat it out right now. 200 thousand got you a stay in the Fuhrers mansion for a week!

"200 thousand? What a rip off!"

"I said you might not be able to afford it. We don't get very many tourists here so when they come we try to make sure they leave us all their money," the man explained. Danny was shocked but he had to give the man a prize for his brutal honesty. Who told that to their customers?

"You got to be kidding me! We'll go somewhere else," Ed said smartly before he was grabbed on the head with an iron grip.

"There's no escape, piggy bank!" the chief stated scarily.

The trio moved to a corner. Ed and Danny had taken out their wallets in hope of providing for the night because Alphonse didn't get paid by the State.

"We don't have enough… I guess the only thing we can do is use alchemy to turn pebbles into gold," Ed cried.

"Don't you even think about it Full Metal. That is a direct offence to the State. It'll cause inflation in the economy and I'd have to apprehend you for breaking the law," Danny said seriously.

Ed cringed in annoyance. "Who died and made you boss?"

"Danny's right Ed, you know it's forbidden by the State Alchemist laws to make gold."

"That's only if we get caught," Ed chided which received a glare from Danny.

Suddenly the trio noticed that Khayal had been sitting in on their whole conversation.

"Dad this guy's an alchemist!"

With that being said the room was in an uproar. Ed had started transmuting every pickaxe he was given with a smug smile. Danny turned to Alphonse who was sitting next to him and decided to ask questions.

"Is your brother always so energetic?"

Alphonse would've cringed if he could. "Yeah, but deep down inside, when it counts, he can be mature," Al replied with a bit of love.

"I see," Danny mumbled slightly jealous that Ed had someone so caring next to him. There was a moment of awkward silence as the rest of the room crowded towards Ed's skill. This left Danny wondering about how it felt to be Al.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question… it might be slightly personal," Danny asked cautiously.

"No it's fine," Al responded unsure of what to say.

"You don't have to answer this but… what's it like to live in that suit of armour?"

Alphonse was taken back by the question. People had asked him the same question many times, but he felt like Danny had asked it for a different reason.

"It's horrible. I can't eat, taste, smell or sleep. But big brother promised to help me get my body back so I'm alright," Al confessed. Danny was about to reply when Ed came and slumped down on the chair next to him.

"You look hot. Do you want me to cool you down?" Danny asked although he was already quite hot himself.

"Huh," Ed mumbled.

"I'm not called _Frozen_ Death for no reason," was all Danny said before he cooled the room down considerably.

The chief walked towards the trio's table with food for Ed. He hadn't been so happy to see a new customer in years. He thanked whatever deity was up there for his good fortune.

"I used to dabble in alchemy a bit myself… until I realised I had no talent for it. I'll give you a special alchemist's friendship discount," he added.

"Sounds good," Ed smiled.

"All together that's a 50% discount! 100 thousand!"

"That's still a lot!" Ed groaned before his attention turned solely to his food.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh yeah… Edward Elric," Ed replied only to have his food snatched away.

Danny wondered what exactly was going on when the man pointed out that Ed was a State Alchemist. Then it hit the raven haired teen that not everybody loved State Alchemists. That's when the trio found themselves literally being kicked out.

"We're paying customers!" Ed shouted angrily.

"Bleah! We don't have food or lodgings for the dogs of the military!" the chief retorted venomously.

Al raised his hand. "Um, I'm a civilian. I'm not a 'state' anything," he said hands in the air with a friendly gesture.

"Oh that's fine then come on in," the chief greeted with a complete change of personality.

"You traitor!" Ed yelled hurt, and Danny could only agree.

The door closed leaving two State Alchemists in awkward silence. Danny decided that his social skills from Vlad never failed him in situations like this. He stood up and dusted himself of quickly regaining his posture.

"Come on Mr Elric, we can't be sitting here all night."

Ed grunted. "Why didn't you leave with Al? You could've easily convinced them you were a civilian as well," Ed grumbled although slightly grateful.

"I don't like being in the company of _rough_ people," Danny admitted as he helped Edward up.

"You really are a mini Mustang," Ed mumbled under his breath as he followed Danny to a random veranda. Danny couldn't help but catch what Ed had mumbled.

"You know Colonel Mustang?" Danny asked.

"Unfortunately," Ed confessed, "That insufferable bastard grates on my nerves."

"I can't imagine why," Danny replied although Ed couldn't figure out if he was being sarcastic.

Suddenly Ed's stomach growled loudly. "I'm hungry… damn you Al! Have you lost your humanity so soon?!" Ed dramatized only to see Alphonse outside with a plate of warm food in his hands.

"I snuck out the food they gave me," Al said as Ed hugged him tightly.

"Dear brother! I'm sorry I ever doubted you!"

"Sheesh you're so predictable," Al mumbled exasperated before he turned to Danny. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring another plate. You must be hungry considering we haven't eaten since yesterday. In fact Ed can give you some of his food."

Danny felt awkward. How would he tell them that he really didn't need to eat? Deciding against it he instead chose to lie. "Don't worry I don't have a large appetite. Onto another note would you mind informing us as to why the good citizens here don't like us?"

* * *

"hmm… these corrupt officials types are everywhere, huh?" Ed agreed.

"Yeah I guess thanks to Yoki, they don't even get enough food supplies," Alphonse said sadly.

"I see… That lieutenant Yoki is causing us a lot of trouble. I mean military personal like us aren't very popular to begin with. When I became state alchemist I knew they would give me a certain amount of flack, but I never knew they would hate me this much," Ed mused.

"Any amount of power can scare the weak," Danny muttered only to have the two brother's look at him weirdly. "It's just something my master used to say," Danny assured.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and a racket coming from the inn. The trio were cut out of their daze by the loud yelling. Ed instantly realised that it had to be Yoki. A smile crossed his face as he decided it was time to make his entrance.

"How about we put back these plates Alphonse?" Ed asked cheekily as he picked up his cup and walked to the entrance.

Danny followed the two brother's wondering what their next move would be. He really didn't know how to deal with corrupt officials and money mongrels. Vlad had originally only taught him how to make the most himself, so this was in a different level of expertise.

As Ed entered the bar he purposefully made his way in front of the kid. It angered him inside that an army official had the audacity to bring down a sword on a child. The military had been placed to protect, not harm little children. With a bored expression he sipped his coffee and moved his automail arm up to face the sword.

"Wh-where did this kid come from?" Yoki asked in shock. He was surprised that a metal, military grade, sword had broken in contact with a child's mere arm. Who wouldn't be?

"Just a kid passing through," Ed said lazily.

"This is none of your business so stay out!" Yoki growled.

"Well I heard that the lieutenant was passing through so I decided to say hello," Ed said smugly as he took out his pocket watch.

Yoki inspected the item taken out and took a second to let it sink in. The gold watch with the president's crest and the hexagram always meant an alchemist. An alchemist meant a senior officer, with good contacts. That meant raising the ranks. Yoki swore he was dreaming a very pleasant dream because if he wasn't then he was in for a jackpot.

Yoki slipped to Edward slowly as he put on his most polite façade. "I'm sorry if my subordinates were impolite. My name is Yoki, and I'm in charge of this town. It must be fate that we met tonight. Now come along there's no need for you to stay in this pig-pen. Even though we're far from the city, we have some lovely rooms back at my home."

"Well I guess that would be alright because the owner here is too cheap to let me stay," Ed chided, smugly getting his revenge. The bar owner seemed to be infuriated. But with that said Yoki left with Ed.

"Umm… boss another kid's following us," one of the guards whispered into Yoki's ear. Yoki turned around to be greeted by the sight of a raven haired teen casually following them back.

"And who might you be? I seem to remember only inviting Mr Edward Elric here," Yoki growled.

Danny realised that he hadn't shown his watch earlier. Still he refused to sleep outside on a veranda. He was too used to large mansions to make such a drastic change. He yawned as he took out his Gold watch. It was slightly consoling to see the look on Yoki's face when he realised he was in the midst of not one, but two State Alchemist's.

* * *

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, eat, eat!" Yoki exclaimed.

"You seem to eat well, although the town as a whole seems less fortunate," Ed pointed out quickly.

"Well I'm embarrassed to say that it takes us a long time to collect taxes. Plus there are many thugs like the ones you saw earlier" Yoki laughed very forcefully. Danny wondered how different the man's tone would be if he had a lesson on speech with Vlad.

"The people pay you taxes because you own the rights to this place. Isn't that how it works?" Danny asked curiously.

"Absolutely. You see matters rather clearly Sir Edward, Sir Danny.

Ed decided to play it cool for once. He might not have enjoyed the sneaky man's company but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. "Of course. It's the same as alchemy. The way of the world is equivalent exchange. You can't have rights without civic duty," he agreed.

"True, true. Well spoken. So that means you will also accept this as the way of this world?" Yoki asked ringing a bell before he continued, "Sir Edward, Sir Danny as state alchemists I imagine you must have some influence with those higher up. Please take this as a token of my gratitude.

Danny and Edward were handed a bag full of gold each. Danny put it down slowly not to seem rude in any way. He didn't like the look of this man but Edward seemed to have that glint in his eyes… the same glint, that if Danny recalled right, was the glint he saw the last time he had made a plan against Cornello.

"This is what some would call a 'bribe' is it not?" he asked back with a bored expression.

"It's gratitude. I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a petty official in a small town. I'm sure we understand each other?"

With that being said the rest of the expensive dinner was spent chatting about politics. Edward was highly bored but Danny knew a fair amount to hold a decent conversation. All in all Danny found the experience informative, albeit slightly boring. Politics in his definition was both tedious and quite astute.

With that being said the two were led into a large room. Ed had slumped straight onto the bed while Danny had gone in search of a hot shower. He hadn't had one in two days.

"Yoki's planning something," Ed pointed out as I turned on the water.

"Yeah," Danny replied simply.

"I would have thought you would be a bit more angry," Ed pointed out again.

"And why would that be?" Danny asked disinterestedly as he tried to make the temperature just right.

"You were about to rip Cornello's head of his shoulders just yesterday. I thought you'd do the same with Yoki," he shrugged.

Danny glanced Ed's way and pouted. He certainly didn't want to rip the Lieutenant's head of. He didn't like the man but he hadn't done anything to agitate him so far. "I'm not so cold hearted. Plus Cornello had ignored me for far too long it was impolite… and I really wanted to arrest someone as well," the young boy sighed.

"Aren't you a character," Ed laughed before he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"Full Metal, wake up," Danny called as he shook the older teen.

"Neh, what is it?" Ed asked groggily.

"There's smoke," the young teen stated as if that was enough.

Ed got up quickly and put on his coat before following the younger teen down the street. A large crowd had gathered and there were silent murmurs. The people seemed even more down hearted than usual. Danny and Ed watched as the smoulders of the remaining inn burnt to a crisp.

"How awful. Last night I saw one of Yoki's underlings hanging around the inn… what a dirty thing to do," a passer-by growled angrily before he turned around and left.

Khayal sighed, "The reason dad tried to learn alchemy was because he wanted to save this town… Hey, Ed. You're good enough to create gold right? Can't you whip up some gold to help dad and this town?"

"No," Ed said adamantly.

"Come on it's not like it's going to cost anything," the boy tried again.

"The foundation of alchemy is equivalent exchange. Why should I give you money for free?" Ed replied coldly.

"Why you… You scumbag! You call yourself an alchemist?" the boy yelled as he gripped Edward's collar.

"Alchemist work for the people right? If I give you money now, it'd end up as taxes in Yoki's vault. I don't feel like being used by all of you just to get by. If you're that desperate then leave town and find another job," Ed replied coldly as he walked away.

"Kid, I don't think you understand but the mines are our homes… and out graves.

Ed stood his ground for a few seconds before he left. In his heart their words had hit hard. He had to burn his own home to the ground… but they didn't.

"That was a bit cold. What are we going to do now?" Danny asked as he caught up with Ed.

Al looked at Ed expectantly. "Brother?"

"We're going to reclaim their home."

* * *

"You're still hanging around in Central?" Hughes asked his old friend.

"I'm going to Eastern Quarters tomorrow," Roy replied with a sigh.

"Well good work. You better be at least a Brigadier General the next time you come around, all right Colonel?" Hughes laughed as he lay back on his chair.

Roy was slightly amused at the way the older man took life. He was always so lax and happy. It must've been because he had a good wife. Everyone knew an angry wife meant a sad life. _Maybe that's why Hughes is so happy all the time_ Roy mused.

"Oh yeah, if you're going back I'll just give this to you," the older man muttered as he took out a file and handed it to Roy.

"What is it?"

"It's the final report on Isaac McDougal… You haven't seen it yet have you?" Maes asked as he handed over his intelligence documents on the man.

"Yeah," Roy mumbled as he turned the page and looked at the information in shock. "Eastern Alchemy from Xing?"

"Apparently something like that exists. To be honest I have no idea, but do you have a clue?" Hughes asked curiously. This case had been an interesting one to do some research on in his opinion.

"No not really but I know who does," the State Alchemist said as he continued to read over the notes.

"Who might that be?"

"He's a new State Alchemist by the name of Frozen Death. He just transferred to East City and is currently under my care," Roy sighed as he wondered when he would see the kid again.

"Under your care?" Hughes asked as his curiosity peaked.

"Never mind that. The point is that he bases his alchemy of the same principles McDougal does and his master has had a history with him," Roy explained as he read through some more information.

"Well let's talk about that later. I want to hear what's up with the Elric brothers. They are under your care too right?" Hughes teased.

"It's a different care with Frozen Death. I'm not their keeper," Roy grunted angrily.

Hughes looked at his best friend sadly. Roy had yet to accept others deeper into his heart. Hughes couldn't blame him entirely considering the war had its consequences. Still it ached him to see his friend unable to move on while everyone around him had already done so.

"Hey I've always wondered why you had Edward become a State Alchemist. You know he is a child right? As long as you're in the army you will face hell one day… Just like we did."

Roy kept walking as he recounted his first encounter with the two brothers. He had seen potential greatness clouded by heavy. He had seen valuable assets wasting away with no reason or cause. He had seen all that and more. If it had been any other children he would have let it be but these weren't children anymore.

These were boys with the eyes of men who had already seen hell.

* * *

 **Ok Curry-llama here. I'm sorry for the really short chapter after such a long wait. I had so many parties to attend to during Christmas and New Year. Plus I paint quite often so most of my spare time went to painting and playing Halo 5. Ok I'm sorry for all the excuses. The next chapter will end the Youswell mine arc and then the real story will unfold. I've been waiting quite a while to unravel the mysteries and questions you have been asking me.**

 **Llama out~**


	7. Ready, Set, Fly!

Frozen Death Alchemist Chp 6

Ready, Set, Fly!

 **Hello it's me again! I hope you enjoy this chapter. The plot will just keep unravelling as we go along XD**

* * *

Danny managed to hold in his annoyance. Edward had just gone along and turned a whole load of coal into gold just to give it to Yoki. He knew that Fullmetal would turn it back after he was done with getting the deed to the coal mines, but it was still illegal. Rubbing his forehead with a sigh he watched as Ed and Al turned the gold back to coal before taking their leave.

"This is illegal," Danny pointed out.

"You've been saying that the past hour or so," Ed grunted annoyed.

"Come on Danny, we just turned it back to coal," Al said in a much kinder tone.

Danny huffed and bit back a retort. Maybe he was just being overly fussy today… Or maybe it was the horrid thought of leaving Yoki's tolerable facilities for yet another train ride. Despite his _train_ of thought the trio quickly found themselves making an overly dramatic entrance into a home. (Pun intended :D)

"Hi everybody, what a lot of gloomy faces! You're looking cheerful today!" Ed exclaimed cheerily as he held out the deed.

"What are you three doing here?" Kahyal asked with an irritated tone.

"Hey, hey, you shouldn't be speaking to the new proprietor of this fine joint like that," Ed replied smugly.

"What the hell are y-!" a miner yelled before he had Ed shove the paper in front of his face.

"Ownership papers," Ed began, "They confer on the holder the rights to mining, sales, distribution, and all subsidiary businesses in this town."

The man took the paper and looked over it in complete shock. "Hey! And it says it's been signed over to Edward Elric!" A chorus of shocked cries rang through the room.

"Correct! So from this moment on this coal mine belongs to me!" Ed exclaimed in a sing song voice before he paused to add affect, "Believe it but we're just a couple of vagabonds going from place to place."

"These documents would just get in the way," Al sighed.

"You want to sell it to us? How much?" the chief asked his voice going grave. The trio couldn't help but notice the man's distrust to their upcoming proposition. "

"What afraid you can't afford it?" Ed snickered happy to use the same line on the man. "If you want something you have to pay the price for it… How about the price of one night's stay for two at your place? Would that be fair chief?"

There was shocked silence in the room as Kayhal muttered something about equivalent exchange.

"Hahahahaha, you're right that is expensive. I'll buy it!"

"Sold!" Ed exclaimed as he handed over the paper and the people cheered.

As if on que Yoki walked in with a pile of clum in his hands. Ed snickered as he read out the deed. "Huh? The deed was given to me free of charge. See, you signed it! I says so right here," Ed pointed out with a massive grin etched on his face. He was secretly enjoying this way too much.

Danny watched in silent amusement as Yoki's men were finally put into their places. The man may have been a scum but he had worked up to his position whether or not it was done fairly. Danny knew that money and power was a fickle thing and this only reinforced it. But the true meaning of it all lied in how it was used.

* * *

"So we're finally on our way to East City. It's been a while," Ed mumbled.

"You don't like writing out reports do you?" Danny asked trying to hide a snicker.

Alphonse turned to Danny and sighed in his brothers place. "Brother has a thing against authorities," he informed Danny exasperatedly.

"I do not!" Ed growled angrily.

Alphonse smartly decided to drop the subject considering it was Ed he was talking to. Danny watched the interaction with a bit of amusement. Is this what it looked like when he and Jazz talked he wondered.

"Hey Al," Danny whispered," Make sure that you always stick together right."

Alphonse looked towards the young State Alchemist and wondered where this sudden emotion came from. Instead of questioning it he simply nodded only to get an indignant response from Ed.

"What's that all about?" he asked with a raised voice.

"Oh, we were just talking about how short you are considering you don't drink any milk," Danny replied casually to change the mood. Edward had to be held back by his little brother the rest of the trip. All the hollering and yelling from Ed's part just seemed to make the ride smoother for Danny. He wondered why it was that when he was alone and at peace that it was so uncomfortable. Why was it that the liveliness seemed to be a welcome retrieve compared to the peacefulness of a quiet trip?

"You shouldn't anger brother like that," Al sighed before he turned to the blond and tried to change the conversation.

"It's not my fault he has the temper of a child," Danny snickered quietly but loud enough for Ed to hear him. This just started the whole process of Ed being furious all over again. Danny put on a small smile as he watched the theatrics unfold. He usually wouldn't go out of his way to antagonise someone, let alone insult anyone at all, but he just felt the urge to do it to Ed.

"You're shorter than me!" Ed grumbled finally as he huffed and crossed his arms like a pouting child.

Danny laughed before retorting, "I'm still younger than you. I still have a long time to gr-"

The smile instantly wiped of Danny's face as he remembered he won't be doing any growing until he managed to rid himself of his immortality problem. Alphonse caught onto the sudden mood change and wondered what was wrong.

"Are you alright Danny?"

"Um- yeah! I was just wondering if I turned out to be like Ed and ended up being a shorty forever," Danny quickly lied only to make the mood light again.

"Why you!" Ed growled.

And it started all over again…

* * *

"Sargent Major Fuery, how's the radio?" Hawkeye asked as she went through the many files littered through her desk.

"The receivers are scrambled. It's definitely seen better days. I think I'm going to have to replace it," Fuery sighed. He hadn't ever had much trouble with radios and he could fix almost anything… almost. The one he was currently handling was impossible.

The familiar buzz of alchemy echoed through the room as Ed used his alchemy and instantly fixed the creaking old machine. It would be an understatement how much this humbled Fuery. He had come to realise a while back that there were many things someone with alchemy could do that some without couldn't. It didn't mean he had to like that Edward could do his job much better than he could.

"Oh it's Edward and Alphonse… Danny's here too," Fuery pointed out instantly forgetting the sudden ire he felt for Edward fixing his radio while he couldn't.

"Welcome back boys. Go on in the Colonel's expecting you," Riza replied curtly.

Ed clearly voiced his disgust as Danny wandered why exactly the blond didn't like his superior. Surely Roy wasn't as insufferable as Fullmetal thought.

"Well done on the Liore case you three. I didn't plan on having you two to be there but I'm sure you helped our latest recruit out," Roy smiled as he gestured for the boys to sit. "I appreciate you resolving the matter"

"No big deal, it's not like we did it for you," Ed replied back albeit slightly rudely.

"Right the philosophers stone… another false lead"

Ed perked up at the mention of the legendary stone. He didn't know why but at the mention of the stone he would always suddenly become giddy. It put his nerves on an end he couldn't quite place.

"Yeah even after all that the stone was fake. Although the power it gave Cornello was real enough. He transmuted this huge chimera in front of us," Ed reported.

"I wonder how he used the stone to do that. I'm not really well versed in the subject of bio-alchemy to understand it either," Danny put in.

"I'm curious about that too," Alphonse said before suggesting, "I think we need to look into it. Who knows it might help us restore our bodies"

"It might help if you consulted a specialist," Roy offered as he took out a file. "The Sewing Life Alchemist, Show Tucker. He's got some good results on chimera transmutation. I'll introduce you."

"You would do that for us?" Al asked with a gratefully shocked tone.

Ed instantly stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Roy, "Ok, what's the catch?! You want something don't you?!"

"Don't doubt my motives! I'm trying to repay you for the Loire case! Doing you a favour is better than being indebted to you," Roy grumbled.

"What about me?" Danny asked as he pointed to himself. If Ed and Al got a favour then he should get one too right.

"You only did what you were told and I happen to be given you food and shelter," Roy pointed out before muttering something about annoying teenagers.

Ed's eyes grew the size of a plate and nearly popped out of his sockets. He blinked a couple of time before he looked at Roy, then Danny, and back at Roy again.

"You're living with him!" Ed exclaimed pointing at the two with a comically surprised face.

"Yeah, why is it so hard to believe?" Danny asked. "I'm only a minor after all"

Ed slapped his face and pulled at the bottom of his eye with a long sigh. "The resemblance is uncanny," he commented before walking away with Al. Danny glanced at Roy and noticed how awkward it had suddenly become and decided it was time he took his leave as well.

"I'll just be leaving then," the immortal boy drawled as he pointed at the door with his thumb.

"Actually before you go I want you to check out a case for me. You don't have to today but maybe another day. I'm sure it directly involves you," Roy informed his charge as he took out a file and handed it to the raven haired boy.

Danny took it gingerly but didn't complain nonetheless. He wasn't going to antagonise the person he lived with. That would be plain stupid. He slowly opened the files and to say he was shocked would be an understatement. A picture of Isaac McDougal was enough to catch his sudden interest.

"You knew of him correct?" Roy asked.

Danny skimmed through the files and nodded. "Yeah, but judging from these files I'd say knowing him further would be impossible," he replied dryly.

"It was quite unfortunate that he died. He served the country well with his alchemy, which I'm sure you know a lot about. I would appreciate it if you found out why he suddenly decided to plot against the Fuhrer."

"He was in the Ishvalan civil war if I am correct?"

"Yes"

"Then it could simply be because of an ill state of mental health," Danny pointed out before he realised his mistake. "Not that I think you have anything wrong with your mental state," he quickly added.

"No offence taken but I agree with your point. However if it happens to be because of something else entirely then I want you to find it out. If you feel like the case is producing no fruit then we can drop it," Roy explained as he organised his cabinet.

"But it's filed under a closed case," Danny pointed out suddenly feeling like there was more to this then he initially realised.

Roy looked at his charge with a serious expression. "We are not doing this with Fuhrer Bradley's permission. In fact I don't want you to send reports via the normal mail system. Anything involving this case can be sent directly to me"

Danny looked at Roy with a suspicious gaze. He had only known the man for a few days and most of it was spent away from his company. He had no idea why he would suddenly trust him on a mission that if they were caught, would no doubt end in death or life in prison. He found himself wondering if his senior was using him to check out untested waters. If it weren't deemed safe then he would be paying the price after all. Still he didn't think the Colonel would stoop so low.

"I can see that you don't trust me," Roy pointed out with a sigh.

"Can you blame me? I don't know you very well and you're giving me a case which goes against the Fuhrer himself. You do realise that if I report you then it'd be more than your position on the line," Danny asked with a raised brow.

Roy did nothing to explain himself but simply gave a curt nod. He knew full well of the implications and consequences this could bring. Yet he knew there was something the currently deceased former State Alchemist needed to say that was important. And he also knew that Danny was the only one who could solve the mystery. He was the only one around here that knew Xingese Alchemy, and had a connection to Isaac, although it was a loose one.

"Can you understand why I would choose you?"

Danny simply nodded. He knew that his circumstance happened to be the best for this situation but time with Vlad had made him cynical. He couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of underlying motive to this request.

"What I don't understand is why you trust me," Danny retorted mildly confused.

Roy looked at the boy and sighed. He had no idea why but he felt like he could. There was no explanation for the sudden trust but it was a gut feeling he couldn't pass on… And Roy never passed on a gut feeling.

* * *

Danny got into the car with Roy and the Elric brothers. He couldn't make up his mind on the Isaac McDougal case but he refused to be sitting around doing nothing until then. Plus he decided that his parents happened to be great Bio-Alchemists and probably knew this Show Tucker. If that man could give him a clue he wouldn't waste it.

"Two years ago, Tucker transmuted a chimera that could understand human speech. That earned his title as a state-alchemist," Roy explained.

"It can understand human speech? Wait you mean it talks- a chimera?" Ed exclaimed in awe.

"Yes supposedly but it only said one thing; I want to die."

This took Danny back. He remembered those horribly disfigured rotting bodies in the basement at his parent's lab. He remembered the moans of pain emitting from their decaying vocal chords. It wasn't an image easily forgotten. Their cries of pain simply tormented a few nights after the event but it had died down to a dull throb. He had nearly forgotten it until now when the healing wound was ripped right apart again.

"After that it refused to eat until it got it's wish"

* * *

The four Alchemists stopped in front of a large house-mansion. The tall home screamed old but somehow still felt slightly homey. Danny could admire it with a bit of haste before Ed decided to cause a scene… he always did.

"It's huge!" Ed exclaimed only to have a large dog suddenly pounce him out of nowhere.

"You ok there?" Al asked as he tried to help his pinned brother.

"Daddy, there are people out here!" a young girl exclaimed as she opened the door with a heart-warming smile.

"Nina, this is why I told you to keep the dog tied up," Tucker reprimanded.

"Why don't you come in?" he asked walking into the large house.

The four alchemists walked in. Danny couldn't help but notice the stale smell rescinding in the house. It was full of litter here and there but somehow it still managed to look empty. How the man had accomplished such a feat Danny would never know.

"I'm sorry about the mess. Ever since my wife ran out, I've hardly had the time to clean up. I'm not much of a house keeper," he apologised as he handed some tea to the four alchemists. "Now that we've gotten settled down let me introduce myself. I'm the Sewing Life Alchemist Show Tucker. I'm well versed in the field of bio-alchemy"

"Yes, the Elric brother would like to read a bit of your research," Roy explained.

"Certainly, I don't mind… However if you want me to show a trick out of my sleeve it's only fair that you show yours. It's the code we live by; equivalent exchange. Now why are you interested in Bio-alchemy?" he added.

Edward sighed as he started to explain the story. He didn't like relieving the memories but he knew the price he paid would linger with him forever. Constantly reminding him of his failure. So he spoke the truth and bit back the pride and replaced it with shame. He didn't deserve to feel proud of himself after what he had done after all.

"You so transmuted your mother at the age of eleven," he summarised with a bit of awe. "I can't see if it'll be any use to you at all but why don't you go look at my laboratory?"

Danny walked into the room and looked at the chimeras with sympathy. They mauled at their cages as if in pain or in need of something. He'd always agreed with a friend in school that animals weren't meant to live in cages… _what was her name? Oh Sam, that's right._

"It's kind of embarrassing. I'm well renowned as the leading authority in chimeras but the truth is my research hasn't been doing well recently… Oh well this is my library," Tucker changed the subject as he opened the large door only to reveal a large library. Danny would have marvelled if it weren't for the fact that Vlad happened to own something larger.

"This is amazing!" Ed exclaimed as he instantly grabbed the first book he saw and started reading.

"I'll be heading back to work now. I'll send someone by to pick you up in the afternoon," Roy put in only to realise that the two boys had already become engrossed in their books.

"Those to have great concentration. I'm not sure they even know we're here anymore," Tucker laughed as he showed Danny and Roy out of the building.

Danny stopped at the door and decided he should at least try. He'd been putting it of knowing that Shou Tucker would be asking for something in return. He didn't like addressing the issue out loud but he would do it for a clue.

"I'm sorry to ask you this right when I'm leaving. I'm sure you're a busy man-" Danny began.

"-It's no problem at all. Go on," Tucker encouraged wondering what the silent raven haired boy wanted. He hadn't heard him speak this whole time but he did notice that he opened his mouth a few times only to shut it. It looked like he didn't know whether he should ask it out loud.

"Well my parents were also well known Bio-alchemists. Do you know of the Fenton couple?" Danny finally asked. Roy watched in mild interest as the conversation unfolded. From the looks of it he figured Danny didn't talk much about his parents.

"Yes, Maddie and Jack Fenton right? They'd always been an odd couple- no offence… but their work was amazing. However their work was classified and the only people who knew were directly picked by the Fuhrer himself. The rest of us only knew they were doing research on making another creature entirely"

"As in human?" Danny asked appalled.

"No from the rumours I heard it would be a new species entirely. Of course the fact remains that it is simply rumours. May I ask what has you so curious? If I'm correct they died in a lab accident."

"That wasn't officially reported," Danny sighed as he ran his finger through his messy raven locks.

"I see you're trying to find out how exactly it happened"

"Yeah, but no luck so far," Danny added hoping to have the conversation end. His parent's 'deaths' hadn't officially been reported. They were classified under 'deceased' but then there was nothing to say how they died. Until Danny could figure it out he would file them under 'unknown', after all he was immortal. What was to say they couldn't be as well? But the fact remained that their last known wish was for him to burn their research to the ground. It must've been horrible for such a strong reaction.

* * *

"Have you thought about the case I offered you?" the Colonel asked as he placed his coat on a hanger.

Danny nodded and took of his shoes as well. "Shou Tucker did not say anything I haven't heard already. I have nothing to go off on my parent's so I'll have nothing to do until then. I'll take the case," Danny explained.

"I'm sure you would. What do you have in mind?"

"My sister… Jasmine Fenton, has a long standing relationship with Isaac McDougal from my memory. Vlad had worked alongside the man and introduced him to my sister a while back. However after Vlad apprenticed I didn't have the time for social calls unless it begged me to be there. So I don't know much about Isaac myself," Danny explained as he walked into the kitchen. Roy had already started cooking and Danny was bent on helping. He wasn't simply going to stay here without raising a helping finger.

"So a visit it is then," Roy stated as he cooked the rice.

"It's not that simple," Danny sighed as he cut the capsicum as best as he could.

"Why not?"

"Because my sister has a habit of being over-protective, and she also has a thing against me being a State Alchemist. She will most surely not help me if I say I'm on business," Danny sighed again.

"Well why don't you just tell her you're trying to find out something on your parents?"

"Did I mention that she doesn't like that obsession either?"

Roy noted that this conversation was actually going nowhere. At least the fried rice was starting to look good…

"Look I really appreciate you having me here. It must be annoying having to take care of a teenager," Danny apologised trying to steer the subject elsewhere.

"It's not too much of a problem. You don't act like Edward in any case," Roy shrugged it off.

"I forgot to ask. Why do you two dislike each other?" Danny asked.

Roy froze as he began to wonder the same thing himself. He had no idea why but Edward had grated on his nerves far more than most. If it were anyone else he would shrug it off and act civil but when it came with the blond teenager he just lost his ability to remain calm.

"Hmm… it must've been bad first impressions then," Roy concluded as he set out the cooked fried rice on the table.

Danny ate a spoon or two and decided he'd had enough. Food wasn't really high on his list of bodily needs… in fact that list had somehow managed to become non-existent. The only thing he really did any more was take long baths. He didn't need to sleep, eat, or even take a shit. He suddenly found himself missing everything… even taking a dump. Of course this didn't stop him from tasting the food in his mouth. He silently thanked whatever force up there that his taste-buds hadn't died along with the rest of his bodily needs

* * *

 **Ok Curry-llama here.**

 **I'm sorry for the very long time I took to update this. I recently started writing a time travel fanfiction for Danny Phantom called Bonds That Transcend Time. It preoccupied most of my time.**

 **I'm also sorry to say that most chapters will take more than just a while to update from now on. I'm starting school and I'm in my senior year studying for my HSC so writing Fanfic will be the last thing on my list of things to do. But I'll try my best to update at least once a month.**


	8. Back To The Nest

Frozen Death Alchemist Chp 7

Return to the Nest

 **Ok it's been a long time since I updated. It's a wonder I'm even writing this considering thw work load that has me studying three to four hours a day. So you get what you get sadly. I want my work to be top-class but honestly It'll be half its usual awesomeness with all the other things my mind is currently going through. Many of you probably thought I'd dropped this story but the truth was I had so many other good ideas and I ended up writing stories for all of them as well. As many of you would know this story's premise wasn't my idea so it didn't really click with my imagination. I've tried my best to continue the story and I do have a plot planned out. If I end up dropping this I swear I'll release the rest of the plot instead of leaving you guys hanging cause that would be a bit mean. Anyway enjoy**

Danny sighed. Here he was. On a train… again.

The weather outside reflected his mood perfectly; a wild storm with the occasional hail. Then again he liked ice. It calmed him if nothing else, and the freezing pain it brought when you were unfortunate enough to be outside, made you think of nothing else. It was therapeutic. Of course others would probably call him crazy for having such an unusual thought.

"Trains… the bane of all humanity," he whispered as he stood up.

His behind felt stiff and painful. His back needed more than just a few cracks. His thoughts had been forced into overwork. Train rides tended to bring the worst out of him into full blossom. If it weren't for the weather outside, Danny knew for a fact that he would have lost his sanity. The Elric brothers weren't here for company and now he was left to his torturous thoughts. Thoughts he'd prefer to ignore and forget.

In conclusion; Danny hates trains.

Pulling himself a little more and stretching the numbness from his limbs, Danny went back to his notes. He'd made sure to wear something other than military grade uniform to home. It wouldn't leave a good impression on his sister if he wore the uniform that she was so against. It also helped to bring a level of comfort military uniforms seemed to deem unworthy.

" _All trains stopping at East City"_

"Finally!" Danny exclaimed as he jumped up in excitement. His usually reserved demeanour suddenly erupted with energy. The cold storming weather pelted his face with a familiar numb sensation as he walked out into the open. It would be quite unpleasant to most but to him it was god sent for him. Oh how he loved the cold feeling rushing through his skin. He'd never give it up for anything…

…except maybe to avoid his sister.

Panic rose inside of him, replacing the earlier calm with the raging storm of emotions. He'd forgotten to write to her. He'd forgotten to tell Vlad as well that he'd be coming. And worst of all he'd have to break the news to Vlad that he'd broken his promise.

What was it that Vlad had told him before he left?

" _Promise me that if you die, it'll be a death worth smiling about"_

Danny paled. In a sense his heart had stopped beating. In another sense this meant he could live forever. The worst thing about both of them was it was no death worth smiling for if he could even call it death. The young alchemist gripped his hair in silent frustrations forgetting the pelting cold that howled for attention with the winds.

"They're both going to kill me"

 **Line Break**

"Oh how I feel like killing you right now"

Danny hung his head and looked away. Vlad had given him an unpleasant look that only promised future pain. The boy decided he deserved the treatment. He hadn't written, he hadn't informed Vlad that he was coming, and to top it all off he caught his previous master in a bad mood.

"My deepest apologies!" Danny apologised as he bowed his head in deep regret.

"Stop with the theatrics Daniel. You already ran along to join the military and now you come back, not to repent of your stupidity, but to ask for help on the job I clearly don't approve of?" Vlad grunted in annoyance.

"If it helps you feel better I'm not under the Fuhrers orders but a friend," Danny explained as he handed out the file on Isaac.

Vlad took the file gingerly his hands ghosting over the crumbled paper while watching his ex-student squirm. It still brought him pleasure to watch Daniel fidget under his presence. He decided he'd only ever feel truly accomplished as a teacher once Daniel stopped writhing under his scrutinising gaze. The day that happened he would die contentedly.

The file in his hands took away all pleasure in watching Danny squirm. The familiar face bought ambivalent emotions to the surface. Here was the face of one of his late friends. A friend he considered to be a brother. For once it wasn't a brother that had betrayed him. Yet the word deceased stuck out like a bright mocking sign amidst the rest of the notes.

"Vlad… I'm sorry," Danny apologised realising that maybe he had sprung the news too quickly. He hadn't known the exact extent of Vlad's relationship with McDougal but judging from his current reactions he'd consider it ran far deeper than he anticipated. Suddenly he regretted his actions.

"I-It's fine. You couldn't have possibly known who he was to me other than what I've told you about," Vlad sighed. He knew his former student well enough to know his thoughts inside out. Right now however his attention was on the rest of the notes.

"It was the military, wasn't it?" he sighed as he walked into the large living room and slumped down on his plush sofa.

"Yes. The reasons for him plotting against Amestris and the Fuhrer are a complete mystery. The case was dropped after he was killed but Roy, my superior, had a feeling that there was more to the story than what was told," Danny explained as he sat beside his former master.

"I'm betting there is"

"What do you mean?" Danny asked as his interest peaked.

"I don't encourage meddling too deep into this country's secrets Daniel. You'll be dead before you know it. Maddie and Jack carried out that fatal mistake and now they're gone… so is Isaac."

"You know I can't just sit by when who knows what is happening," Danny growled remembering the painful moans of those zombie like humans in his parent's lab.

Vlad sighed and rubbed his temples in distaste. If Daniel happened to be anything like his parent's he was persistent. Sometimes he wondered if he should've just locked him up in a room and protected him from everything. Jasmine certainly didn't need it, but her younger brother had turned out to be quite the handful.

There was something odd in the undertone of what his young ward had told him. Vlad had picked up on that look Danny was giving him. It almost felt like Daniel had witnessed something horrid and was keeping it away from Vlad on purpose. Of course the older man made no outward expression that he saw beneath Daniel's horribly feigned façade of indifference.

"Isaac had left me before I got too deep into the dirty secrets this country hides. I made no effort in following him into the shadows either. Sadly just like you, your sister managed to get herself too deeply involved with Isaac. Maybe it's a genetic stupidity," Vlad mused in a bitter tone.

Danny took no offence to the jabs Vlad threw at his late father. He had become accustomed to Vlad's bitter hate towards his biological pater for quite a while. It had irked him at the start but despite Vlad being a bitter old man, he also managed to creep into Danny's heart regardless.

"I knew that Jazz would have better relations with Isaac but considering you're his friend, can I have the privilege of knowing anything of value?" Danny asked hopefully.

"I can't tell you anything of value. Even if I could, I still wouldn't. I'm sorry Daniel, but you'll have to go to your sister about this," Vlad sighed. He hated seeing the last few people he cared about getting themselves mixed up in something that would no doubt cost their lives. So many times in the past few weeks he had been having the same nightmare of their deaths on his head.

"Thank you," Danny mumbled. He'd been quite awkward since he walked in. He was tense and his nerves were clearly getting the better of him. Vlad had that kind of affect he admitted. Every time he was around the older man he'd felt the urge to prove himself. Currently he'd been having second thoughts as to whether or not he should ask his old master for help regarding meeting his sister.

"Spit it out Daniel. You have that reluctant look on your face when you're torn between something," he pointed out.

Danny sighed in resignation. "You see right through me all the time. You should teach me how to do that"

"It's simply the fact that you're an open book. Anyone could know exactly what you're thinking. Now stop trying to change the subject and start talking"

Danny was about to protest but decided against it. "Can you come with me to meet Jazz?"

Vlad rubbed his temple in frustration. When it came to Jazz he knew his former pupil was weak. Danny had every right to be fearful of his older sister. He'd gotten on the bad side of her and he'd messed everything up when he joined the military. It had been the one thing his sister hated the most.

"When are you going to take responsibilities for your actions Daniel? I will come with you this one time but from now on you cannot throw your problems onto another. Am I clear?"

"Yes, mas- Vlad!" Danny replied hastily before he picked up his things.

The two walked into the car and drove in awkward silence. Vlad didn't know what to say and instead took to thinking of everything he had heard. He had been friends with Isaac but he never was never emotionally involved with anyone besides a few. Danny and Jazz had taken most of his time and if they weren't there he knew he wouldn't have many friends.

"Pack up your things we're catching the tram," Vlad ordered.

"Never understood why you never bought a car," Danny mumbled under his breath.

Stuck in what Danny deemed the 'smaller train' didn't really make him feel better. First he didn't like trains and second he was going to meet his sister after… well he'd lost track of time. All Danny knew was Jazz's temper could rival a hungry lions. He didn't enjoy facing a hungry lion.

"We're getting off at the next stop," Vlad informed.

Danny was cut out of his thoughts before nodding. He followed after the older man and found himself moving through a crowd of people. A nasty weight found itself on his throat and he couldn't swallow it. His stomach churned and he felt increasingly jittery. What exactly would he say to his sister after not seeing her for months? 'Hey Jazz, I'm kind of the army dog now and our parents were part of a secret underground conspiracy that could kill me or charge me with treason for looking into it. I would love it if you gave up any information on the man you saw as a father to me because he possibly died connecting our parent's murder to something.'

Yeah that was going to go well…

"Are you coming in or not?" Vlad asked.

Danny shook his head as he looked up at the apartment building. He was a little shocked. Vlad was rich so why would Jazz be living in a cheap apartment of all places? The thought left just as quickly as it came. Right now his sister's taste didn't matter as much as her oncoming wrath. As they approached the old wooden door Danny felt himself lose control over his raging emotions. He kept a poker face but it didn't stop his hands from shaking with effort as he knocked on rough wood. He fought chimeras, joined the army, saw horrors but he was more scared of his sister?

The door opened revealing a dishevelled red head. Viridian green eyes widened in shock before a range of emotions seemed to flash in an instant. Fist met flesh in a second and Danny found himself lying on the floor under the mercy of a very angry older sister.

"9 months Danny. You didn't call for 9 months and now you just drop in unannounced?" Jazz growled, her voice quivering by the end.

Danny flinched when she came closer but instead of being met with pain he found himself stuck in a warm embrace. He felt both disgusted and comforted. There were many things he deserved but Jazz was not one of them. He hugged back half-heartedly before pulling away.

"I'm sorry Jazz. So many things happened and you're not the first girl who's punched me in the face," Danny laughed, thinking back to Izumi. His laughter stopped abruptly when he remembered he wasn't here on pleasantries. He held Jazz's shoulders and his eyes became heavy.

"What is it?"

Jazz was led in by her brother, his arm around her shoulders in an uncharacteristic fashion. Slowly and delicately the young alchemist explained what had happened. To Jazz the world had went silent and irrevocably darker. Jack, Maddie, Danny… Isaac. Everyone was leaving her. She felt so alone that it hurt worse than any physical pain she could have ever felt. Her breathing stopped and she felt almost like she was suffocating… no she was suffocating. Panic took a hold of her as her brother worriedly pat her back and spoke calm words. How could he be calm? Isaac had just been murdered by the state; the man she had come to see as a father was murdered by the state!

"Jazz breath, you need to breath," Danny repeated calmly, although he was anything but calm. His hands hesitantly patted his sister's back, used to her bouts of temporary suffocation. She had woken up screaming, suffocating and thrashing in agony at night and all he could do was watch when he too was feeling the same pain. Danny didn't know how to deal with such intense displays of emotion so he had all but run away. Now he was feeling guilty for having left his sister behind to deal with her trauma alone.

"I-Isaac," she cried, her thoughts coming back in full force.

"He- he was brave Jazz. Whatever it was that he found it was surely important enough to risk his life over.

"No!" Jazz cried pushing Danny away. "No! He left me just like mom and dad! He left just like you did!"

"Jazz-"

"Go away!"

Danny backed away his eyes betraying his hurt. He sent one last worried look before closing the door and leaving his sister to her misery. Again. He was leaving her again. If she were in his situation no doubt would she have comforted him… hugged him tight despite the protests. But he wasn't her. He wasn't brave. He wasn't strong. He couldn't even feel anymore. Vlad's disappointed expression was enough to convince him of all he thought.

"Go back in there Daniel."

Danny looked away, his expression turning grim. He couldn't go back. It hurt to be near Jazz. It hurt to be near Vlad. It was much better when he was treated like the dog he was and sent to do military duties. It was much easier just to leave and never show his face again then to suffer through that much pain again.

"Go back in there Daniel!" Vlad repeated his anger apparent.

Danny snapped.

"No! I am tired of this! I am tired of being reminded again and again of what I've lost. Don't you think I would like it if I woke up every night to mom and dad making pancakes? Do you think I like waking up at night for a suffocating sister when I'm feeling just as scared? I'll tell you why Jazz is in so much pain. It's because she refuses to accept reality! This is my reality!" Danny growled taking his alchemy badge from his pocket.

"Don't show that in my presence," Vlad snapped.

"You're just like her," Danny snarled. Rage boiled in his stomach and it threatened to explode. "I'm tired of keeping my head down and listening to speeches of me abandoning you! You abandoned Jack and Maddie!"

Vlad snarled dangerously and smashed Danny into the wall. The younger boy didn't flinch, his gaze sturdy and unrelenting. He was tired of having to explain himself. He was tired of having to feel guilty.

"You and Jazz, sit here with your heads lowered and tails wagging! Who's the real dog here! I may be the dog to the military but I am a dog who refuses to beg! The woman you loved, and your best friend were murdered and you turn a blind eye, wallowing in your misery and claiming you love them!"

"Daniel," Vlad growled threateningly.

"I've spent years training and fighting for what? To be treated like the villain! Why am I the only one who cares what happened to them? Why am I the only one trying to bring their memory to justice!"

Vlad slapped Danny.

The screaming voices of self-loathing, of hate, immediately vanished. It seemed the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed into the fibre of every object in the room. Danny's hands went to his cheek in shock. Vlad had never slapped him. Vlad had whipped him, he had punched him, he had kicked him, but he had never slapped him.

"When Maddie became a state alchemist she told me to quit for her. She told me that was the one thing she never wanted you or Jazz or anyone to become. She took my place so that I could quit. I'm honouring her memory by honouring her wishes," Vlad whispered his eyes lost in pain. "It seems I have failed with you."

"How quaint," Danny replied angrily before pushing Vlad away and storming off. He pushed the anger back down. His earlier apprehension seemingly faded away and revealed hidden bitterness. He loved his sister, he loved Vlad, but they did nothing. When they had disappeared he seemed to be the only one questioning why. When they held a funeral with no bodies he was the one breaking the empty casket in angry retribution. When Jazz woke up screaming and crying at night he was the one lulling her to sleep. When the pain became too much and he cried in his room no one came.

No one saw. Everyone seemed to have moved on. As time went on he realised that they were really dead. He realised that the funeral was meaningful. He realised that Jazz had a reason to wake up screaming and have basic motor functions not working. He realised that there was more to what happened than what he was told. He told Jazz of his revelations but she told Danny that it was an accident that they died, that it was normal protocol to not give the dead bodies of state alchemists to their families because their death and bodies had confidential information. Danny didn't believe it.

"Here's the information," Jazz said handing a paper to Danny.

Danny was cut from his thoughts when he saw his red eyed sister. She gave him the note, not explaining how she realised he was here on business and not simply to relay the sad news. He took the white paper regardless. After reading through the contents he put it back into his pocket and walked back to Jazz. He couldn't bring himself to look at her in the state she was in.

"You never cried," Jazz mumbled,

 _That's not true._ Danny bit his tongue and didn't say a word. _You've just never seen me cry._

"I do what I have to do," Danny replied holding back his voice from wavering. "You'll see one day Jazz. I'll find out what really happened and the whole of Armistice will see. Mom, dad, Isaac… I'll bring them justice."

"Does it hurt?"

Danny paused. Green eyes begged for him to answer honestly and cold blue slowly wavered. _It hurts so much. I want to cry. I want to see them even if it's just their rotting corpse. Sometimes I feel like someone is stabbing me._

"I remember," Danny replied finally. "I remember all too well and I don't want to forget. I'm afraid that we're letting them die here," Danny said pointing at his heart.

"We need to move on Danny. That's what they would want," Jazz sighed rubbing her eyes.

"The dead don't want but the living do," Danny replied harshly. Jazz flinched before turning her head around to hide her face. She certainly didn't want Danny to see her expression. The young alchemist sighed as he felt the paper in his grip. He loved Jazz but it hurt to love and he was tired of feeling. His emotions were a contradiction in itself. He wished to tell her the truth. She had a right to know what he saw down in their lab before it was permanently blocked of. She had a right to see the activated the transmutation array on his back. Despite his rationale side compelling him to tell his grieving sister the truth he couldn't do so. He pulled his hand away and put it in his pocket, feeling the cold metal that signified his status as a dog to the military.

"You may not see it now Jazz, but I'll clear their names. I'll expose the truth and there will be justice."

"Then you'll die trying," Jazz retorted.

Danny nodded. "That would be a death worth dying."

With that said he left his sister alone to her grieving. He could not imagine how he would cope if Vlad died as well. If his sister needed to grow up she needed to accept these things. He couldn't comfort her like he used to. The time for stagnation had never truly existed. The moment his parents had disappeared was the moment he moved, and while the rest of his family seemed to be in a stand-still, he knew that time was of the essence. For now he would move step by step.

It was time to visit the late Isaac McDougal.


End file.
